The Accomplices
by writer2
Summary: Harry and Hermione use a different kind of magic to battle Harry's ultimate foe. h/h
1. Chapter One

(A/N: Okay, just read it and then submit a review. This is just the first chapter, and I will only continue writing if enough people like it. It may move a bit slow at first, but don't let that discourage you from reading it. If you really like it, put it under your favorites and check back for chapter-add-ons. (Is that a word?) Anyway, read! Oh, and the first part was in another one of my stories, but I decided it would work best in this one -- long story, just in case someone read Year 5.)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K. Rowling.

  
  
  
  


The Accomplices - Chapter One 

  
  
  
  
  
  


Harry Potter leaned over the edge of the Astronomy Tower. He saw flashes of himself, challenging death, and diving to the black ground beneath him. If he did, at least he wouldn't have to be killed by Voldemort. It was then that Harry started to see life -- his life -- in a different perspective. As he grew older, the thought of Voldemort no longer brought fear and worry of death. Voldemort was now a dull thought that seemed as average to Harry as procrastinated homework. p

Voldemort was a part of being Harry Potter, and that part kept getting smaller. Harry turned his eyes to the sky once more and caught sight of the brightest star in the sky -- Sirius. Harry was the godson of a convicted murderer, friend of a half giant, youngest seeker at Hogwarts in a hundred years, a focal point of the wizard world, and eternal foe of the most feared wizard of all time. He'd past a pack of enchantments (with some help of his friends) to capture a stone that brought money and life forever to save the world, talked to snakes, fought with the memory of his eternal foe, not to mention a basilisk, saved his best friend's sister's life , blown up his aunt, almost killed his godfather, warded off hundreds of dementors, been a Triwizard champion, dueled with his eternal foe ( Voldemort, for the slower people), practically died twice, been gravely injured five times, and was expected to save the world up until his seventh year at Hogwarts. Yet, this was a normal life for that boy. So, it was while looking up into the heavens that Harry decided to except this. p

Dumbledore stepped up behind Harry, and placed a hand on his shoulder, Harry, not knowing Dumbledore was even there, jumped and nearly fell off the balcony. p

"Sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to startle you," Dumbledore said, gently. p

"That's okay, professor," Harry muttered. p

"Come with me," Dumbledore gestured to the open doors into the castle. p

A few minutes later (not to Harry's surprise), he was sitting in Dumbledore's office. He wasn't the only one. Sirius was there, for this Harry was thankful, but so were a few other people Harry didn't know, but one looked strangely life old Mrs. Figg.p

"I'm sure it was quite a surprise to wake up and find yourself at Hogwarts," Dumbledore smiled. p

"Not really," Harry murmured to himself," things like this happen to me a lot." p

It was mid-July, and not very long ago, Harry had been lying on his bed at the Dursley's. He must have fallen asleep, but when he awoke -- just as Dumbledore said -- he found himself at Hogwarts castle. He got up and began to wander around when Professor McGonagall came bustling towards him. "Wait on the Astronomy Tower," she had said, and Harry hadn't argue. p

"Harry," Dumbledore continued, "I believe that you should spend the duration of your summer vacation here, at Hogwarts. If you don't mind?" p

Did he mind? Did he mind! Almost an entire summer away from the Dursley's! p"Of course not, professor," Harry grinned. p

"Good, I figured you'd feel that way," Dumbledore pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, "Now, I believe that your trunk is waiting in the dorm for you. It was conveniently already packed when Minerva got it from Privet Drive. p

"Harry, I'm afraid that you weren't called to Hogwarts this summer just to get you away from the Dursleys. I'll explain exactly why you're here later. Perhaps when Miss Granger arrives -- ." p

"Hermione's coming?" Harry interrupted. p

"Yes. We sent owls to both Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, asking if they'd like to come and stay with you. Unfortunately, Mr. Weasley is going to Egypt for the remainder of the summer. His parents feel that it's safer there of the moment, and they can visit Mr. Bill Weasley. But Miss Granger said she'd be delighted to come. Of course, she did make me promise that I'd leave the library open for her. Anyway, you'd best get some sleep. You're dismissed." p

Even though he was dismissed, Harry hung around for a few more minutes to talk to Sirius, before making his way to Griffindor Tower. p

For the next four days, Harry was left pretty much to himself. Dumbledore refused to explain the situation until Hermione arrived. So, Harry practiced quidditch on his Firebolt, visited Dobby in the kitchens ( The other houselves were always grateful to Harry for keeping Dobby from "helping" them.), read in the library, and took trips out to Hagrid's cabin to see Fang. (Hagrid was away on business for Dumbledore.) After his first couple of days, he got a letter from Hermione. p

Harry,

How are you? I do hope everything's alright. I'm so worried. I'm planning to come Saturday. I'll stay there for the rest of the summer. Ron wrote and said he's "stuck" in Egypt. Maybe he'll wise up and check out the local history -- maybe not. Anyway, have fun with your freedom over the castle!

Love,

Hermione i

True to her word, Hermione showed up on Saturday. She dashed into the common room,

where Harry was reading a book, and gave him a hug ("Hermione!"). But it felt so good to see another person he cared for and who cared for him, that he hugged her in return. p

"Oh, Harry, when Dumbledore wrote me, I thought something was wrong! What happened? Why're we here?" Hermione pulled away from Harry's embrace. p

"He hasn't told me anything, yet. He said to wait for you," Harry sat down in an armchair, closing his book. p

"Hmm," Hermione pondered over something for a moment, then said, "It's a shame that Ron couldn't come." p

"Yeah," Harry sighed, "But Dumbledore's right, it's safer in Egypt." p

Hermione then looked as if she was going to cry right then and there. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to tremble. p

"Don't cry, Hermione," Harry panicked, "We'll see Ron at the start of term -- ." p

"It's not that!" Hermione wailed, gripping the arm of Harry's chair for support, "He's back. You-Know-Who is back, and I don't want any of out friends to get killed or hurt -- especially Ron and you," she said "you" very softly, as if she didn't want to scare Harry, but he knew that Voldemort was after him. p

She then flung her arms around Harry again, crying freely now. p

"I've already hugged you once," Harry mumbled into Hermione's bushy hair. p

Hermione laughed, weakly between sobs, and sat down next Harry. She wiped her wet eyes with the sleeve of her robes and cleared her throat, "Harry, you can't try to go looking for and take revenge out on Voldemort. Don't tell me you won't," she held her hand up to his open mouth, "Because you went after the Philosopher's Stone when everyone told you not to, you went after the basilisk, and who'd you end up meeting -- Voldemort! You ran after Sirius when you thought he was a murderer -- well, you ran after Ron, who was with Sirius -- and you almost killed the poor guy. I just don't want you to chase after Voldemort, because you're really no match for him, and you might get k-k-killed, oh Harry!" and she (You guessed it!) pulled him into a hug. p

"Hermione, this is getting ridiculous! How many times are you going to hug me!" Harry exclaimed. p

"Until I can be sure you're not going to die!" Hermione sobbed on Harry's shoulder. p

It was then that Sirius and Dumbledore came in through the portrait hole. It must have been quite a shock to them when they saw this scene. Hermione was now crying hysterically on Harry's shoulder, arms around his neck, and Harry was patting her on the head, trying to clam her down. Harry looked up at Sirius's inquiring gaze and shrugged. p

"Hermione?" Dumbledore whispered, gently, "I need to talk to you and Harry." p

Hermione lifted her head from Harry's shoulder and wiped her eyes furiously, choking back more tears. Gradually regaining her composure, she took a seat of her own between Sirius and Harry. p

Dumbledore resumed talking, "I apologize for my vague letter you received, Hermione. I do hope it didn't worry you too much. Now, I suppose both of you would like an explanation as to why I called you here." p

Harry gripped the chair arm, readying himself for the blow. Sirius sent comforting glances Hermione's way, who was fumbling with the hem of her robes. p

"Harry, did you tell Ron and Hermione what happened a few weeks ago?" Dumbledore asked. p

"With Voldemort?" Harry asked, even though he knew exactly what Dumbledore meant, "Yes, I told them." p

"Therefore, you and Hermione both know that Voldemort is back and becoming more and more powerful as we speak. Death Eaters are running to his side to support him, and without the consent of the Ministry of Magic, we can't put any of them in Azkaban. While we have certain people working on creating allies and spying on Voldemort's inner circle, we have no one to fight the Death Eaters -- ." p

"Wait, professor," Harry spoke up, "Fight the Death Eaters? Voldemort's the problem. He's the one trying to take over the world -- ." p

"Harry, Voldemort is not our problem at the present time. He's not going to attack until he can be certain he'll win, you see? But according to sources I have, Voldemort is sending his Death Eaters to not only kill enemies of his, but to attack people, towns, Hogwarts, the list goes on. This is different than last time. Obviously, Voldemort's had thirteen years to come up with a new strategy -- this is it. He's not going to just kill people and burn their houses and then be done with it. He's going to slowly torture the magical community, hoping for their surrender. We can't let any of this happen. Now, this is where to two of you come in. Harry, Hermione, we need you to fight the Death Eaters and their curses and tortures. You'll also be asked to gather information -- ." p

Hermione made a strange noise in her throat and began to speak, "Professor, we're just kids. We don't know spells complex enough to fight anyone, let alone Death Eaters!" p

"Sirius, perhaps you would like to explain this part," Dumbledore looked to the convicted murderer. p

Sirius nodded and launched into an explanation, "You won't be using complex spells to fight complex spells, but good magic to fight evil magic. Over the summer, Dumbledore and the other professors will be teaching you how to use this good magic. It's difficult at first, but we all have complete faith that both of you will be able to use it magnificently. It will, however, take the two of you and your friendship to pull it off." p

"But, what about Ron?" Harry asked, afraid that his best friend wouldn't be involved in any of this. p

Dumbledore frowned, "I'm sorry to say that Mr. Weasley won't be able to assist you. This will all be hard enough for him to add the weight of the missions." p

"Why?" Hermione gasped. p

"That is between the Weasley family," Dumbledore said. p

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Hermione sighed, and placed her forehead into the palm of her hand, "I still don't understand any of this. Harry and me go on missions? Good magic? No Ron? I-I -- ." p

"I'm sure that both of you and Harry will understand the whole situation better tomorrow when you begin your training. Let Mr. Weasley take care of himself, and -- ." p

"Professor," Harry interrupted, "I have a question." p

"Yes?" p

"Why are you sending Hermione and me? Can't you get a couple of fully trained wizards?" p

"No, I couldn't. Harry, the magic required is very special. Not just anyone can perform it, but I'm positive that you and Hermione can. Also, there are skills and gifts that you both attain, but you haven't discovered them yet. Trust me. Be in the Great Hall at noon tomorrow." p

And with that, Dumbledore left the common room. p

"I have to go back to Remus's," Sirius said, getting up from the chair. p

"You have to leave?" Harry asked, his hopes of a few days with his godfather sunk. p

"Yes," Sirius gave them each a reassuring smile. He too left, leaving Harry and Hermione to their confused thoughts and questions. p

The next morning, Harry awoke from a dreamless night in good spirits. He didn't care what tasks lay ahead of him; he was at Hogwarts and that was all that mattered. It was just after dawn, and birds soared across the pink sky. Harry doubted Hermione would be awake, but decided to go to the common room anyway. As he descended the spiral staircase, he thought about how strange it was to be the only boy in his dormitory and how quiet Griffindor Tower was without the other students. p

Harry jumped the last two steps, and he found himself face to face with Hermione. p

"Oh, I was just coming to wake you up," Hermione yawned. p

She was in a flowery, pink dressing gown, and her hair was sloppily pulled into two bushy pigtails. p

"Why? It's so early," Harry said, walking past her to sit in an armchair. p

"I don't know. I was tired of being the only one up. I'm used to the noise of Parvati and Lavender spending three hours to get ready. That dorm is too quiet when its just me. I also had a nightmare," Hermione finished, apprehensively. p

"What about?" Harry asked. p

"I can't remember. I just know that it was a nightmare. Doesn't that ever happen to you?" p

"Yeah, I guess." p

Hermione walked to the other side of the room, picking up a book on the table. She snuggled up in a chair, propping the book on her knees. That was when Harry noticed something was missing. p

"Where's Crookshanks?" p

Hermione looked up from her book, "I didn't bring his this year. Mum and Dad are talking care of him. I thought that whatever Dumbledore wanted with us might take up all my time. And I guess I was right. Harry, what do you think we'll be doing?" p

Harry thought about it for a moment, then came to a conclusion, "I've no idea." p

Hermione sighed and turned back to her book. Around eight o'clock, Dobby came in with their breakfast. Harry hadn't realized how hungry he was until he sank his teeth into the delicious toast. p

"Man, I'm hungry," he said. p

Hermione sat there, twirling her fork, but not eating. p

"You okay?" Harry asked, between mouthfuls. p

"Yeah," Hermione whispered, then forced some food down. p

Noon finally came and the two went to the Great Hall, where they found Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. p

"Good morning, Harry, Hermione," Dumbledore beamed, "If you'd follow me." p

He lead them into the room the champions were sent to the year before. The people in the pictures snoozed contentedly. Harry recognized Violet, the Fat Lady's friend. They always seemed to get drunk together. Hermione, who'd never been in this room before was looking around curiously. Dumbledore gestured for the two to take seats, so they chose a couple of high-back chairs next to the fireplace. p

"Today, we'll start the beginning of your training. Unfortunately, the first part you must complete will be one of the most difficult. Professor McGonagall, care to elaborate?" Dumbledore said. p

McGonagall bit her lower lip, carefully choosing the words to say, "Harry, Hermione, in order to succeed as a team, you first have to become a team." p

The puzzled looks on their faces made McGonagall backtrack and begin again, "What I meant to say was. . .was -- you'll need to know each other very well -- ." p

"Professor," Hermione cut in, "we already do." p

"Yes, you know each other, but. . . but -- ." p

"Minerva," Dumbledore smiled, "please allow me to try." p

McGonagall looked taken aback but stepped into a corner, nonetheless, allowing Dumbledore to speak. p

"When fighting Death Eaters and breaking curses, you must not let yourselves become weak and vulnerable. The magic we will be teaching you is based on the good inside of you both and your bond of friendship. You'll have to know each other inside and out. Each others deepest fears, secrets, and ambitions. When on these missions, you'll have to communicate with each other without words and make split-second decisions together. You'll have to be very close to the other. Nothing must break your bond of friendship. This is part of the reason why I believe it's best if Mr. Weasley doesn't help -- ." p

"What? Ron's my best friend!" Harry spat. p

"Yes, and a brave young man, but he has certain weaknesses that would bring you all down." p

Hermione had a look about her face that showed she knew what Dumbledore meant: Ron's jealousy and quest to be his own person. But that look was soon replaced by one of discomfort, "You're saying that we -- we have to know everything about each other?" p

"Almost everything, yes," Dumbledore responded. p

It was Harry's turn to look uncomfortable. Hermione was a good friend of his, but he didn't want her to know practically everything about him. p

"I'm aware that this will be difficult for both of you, but this job must be done, and you two are the only ones that can do it properly. I'm certain of this." p

"Why are we the only ones!" Harry burst. p

"You will see. Now, spend the afternoon interrogating each other, so to speak. Find out as much as you can by word of mouth. There are more steps to this, and tomorrow will be a draining day. You're free to go." Dumbledore finished quickly, not allowing time for more questions. p

  
  


"Harry, no offense, but I don't like the idea of you knowing my deepest secrets and such." p

Harry and Hermione were stretched out by the lake in the bright afternoon sun. p

"Neither do I, but it's obvious Dumbledore needs us desperately for -- whatever he wants us to do." p

Hermione rolled over on her stomach and began to pick at the grass, "Where should we start?" p

Harry sighed. p

An hour later -- p

"Most embarrassing moment?" Hermione giggled. p

Harry propped up against at tree nearby and thought about what he should say, "Fainting when that dementor came onto the train in our third year." p

Hermione laughed and said, "Do you remember when -- ." p

Soon they were reliving the night they rescued Sirius. p

  
  


As they walked back in the dusk light, Hermione looked over at Harry. His hair was messier than usual (if that was possible). She had never really thought about what went on inside Harry's head. She'd never considered what his most embarrassing moment was, or who he'd had a crush on last year (Cho Chang!). Then, she felt a pang of guilt at her next thought. 'I'm almost glad Ron wasn't here.' p 

  
  


"How did it go yesterday?" Dumbledore asked, from behind his desk. p

"Okay," Harry said. He was nervous about what Dumbledore was going to make them do next. Although, Hermione had been very understanding the day before -- especially when he'd told her he once like Cho (He wasn't sure if he did anymore.). p

"Did you learn a lot about the other person you didn't know?" p

"A little," Hermione answered. p

"Well, a little isn't good enough," Remus Lupin stepped up behind the kids, startling Hermione so much, she had to clutch her quickly beating heart. p

"Professor Lupin!" Harry exclaimed, jumping from his seat. p

The professor stepped forward and embraced Harry in a fatherly type hug. Hermione laughed to herself, thinking about the night before last when she kept hugging Harry out of hysterics. p

Dumbledore cleared his throat to get everyone to turn their attention to him again, "Harry, Hermione, Professor Lupin will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. He will also be training you to defeat the Death Eaters." p

Harry and Hermione were absolutely thrilled about this. Maybe this training wouldn't be so bad, now. p

"Anyway, please sit back down Harry. We need to get to work, right now. There's only a month and a half until the other students return, and you have to be trained by then, so let's get cracking!" Lupin rubbed his hands together out of excitement. p

  
  


Later that night, Harry and Hermione entered to common room, tired and shaken. It had been an eventful day. Lupin taught them how to tell what the other was feeling. It wasn't a spell, but it had started out that way. Now, they could just do it. That hadn't been too bad. They could usually tell what the other was feeling without magic. What was really draining though was learning how to read each other's minds. Harry didn't like this part one bit. He didn't want Hermione reading his mind. He wasn't angry at Hermione about this -- after all, he could read her mind. p

"Why is Dumbledore making us do this!" Harry cried out, exasperated. p

Hermione stretched out in a chair, but Harry plopped down on the floor in front of her.p

"And I know what you're thinking!" he continued, "We're not just going to give up. This is our privacy!" p

Hermione concentrated on the next thing Harry thought, "How could you think that!" p

"What?" Harry asked, listening to Hermione's thoughts, "I did not think that!" p

"Yes, you did -- oh, you thought it again!" p

"Well, you're not thinking anything of the kind! You're thinking about -- ." p

Hermione read his thoughts before he could speak them. p

"Oh yeah!" p

Soon they were broken out in uncontrollable laughter -- reading each others thoughts. p

  
  


That summer turned out to be a very eventful one. Harry began to think that his life only became action packed and complicated when he was at Hogwarts, but he loved it -- even if he hadn't realized that, yet. p

His and Hermione's training had been vigorous and sometimes vicious, but they were both amazed at the difference that a month and a half made. Lupin had taught them so many useful spells and defenses. They could detect when someone was lying, make objects move, disappear, and appear by simply concentrating together, and pause time. When they did this, everything around them stopped, except for themselves. They could do things at their leisure, take enough time to think of a spell, or prepare to dodge one heading for them. Dumbledore also showed them how to apparate. It was a bit complicated, but you could apparate on Hogwart's grounds if you knew the right spell. Added to these things were many other tricks. p

As the training progressed, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Lupin's expectations of a very close friendship were confirmed. Harry and Hermione had become closer than he and Ron had been. Having to read each other's mind and working together all the time, they both knew the other almost as well as they knew themselves. They still did, but talk really wasn't necessary. Loads were said to each other by just one glance. Of course, they had been through so much together. p

When they weren't training, exploring the castle was their priority. They had visited every other house's common room (Griffindor's was the best!), mastered trick staircases and hidden corridors, discovered shortcuts, and found the most interesting places. Hermione's favorite room was filled with cozy chairs and pillows, a piano was in the corner, and music could always be heard. Harry personally like the Hogwart's Quidditch Hall of Fame. He found out that there was a plaque devoted to him for having been a young seeker. p

All of the ghosts, mermaids, and owls knew the two friends. And as long as Harry and Hermione were there Hogwarts was full of excitement. (Gag! Gag! Cliche! Cliche!) Remus Lupin had even renamed them the Second Marauders. They were having such a great time that Hermione forgot to study! p

  
  


A couple of days before term started, Harry and Hermione apparated to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies. As they walked down the road to Gringott's a familiar family came into view. p

"Harry! Hermione!" Ron Weasley waved from the steps of Gringott's Wizard Bank. p

'Oh, it's Ron. What do we tell him?' Hermione thought. p

'Umm. . .tell him we'll tell him what we've been doing later. I think we can tell him the truth, but we need to ask Dumbledore first.' Harry thought in return. p

"Hey, Ron!" Hermione called back, running with Harry over to where Ron was. The entire Weasley family was now embracing the two in hugs and hellos. p

"Did you agree to meet here? Why didn't you write me?" Ron looked slightly hurt, "I get letters in Egypt too, you know." p

Hermione panicked for a second. 'We forgot to write letters to Ron! He must hate us! Hate us!' p

'Clam down!' Harry glanced at Hermione. p

"We'll tell you later," Harry whispered, in Ron's ear. p

"Oh," Ron whispered back. p

They went in to get their money and set off with Ron for school stuff a few moments later. p

"What's going on!" Ron demanded, "Why're you both here?" p

Harry looked around the street to make sure prying ears weren't anywhere near. 'I'm going to tell him.' p

"Hermione and I've been at Hogwarts this summer. You got an owl too, so you should 

know that. Favor for Dumbledore. We might be a little busy this year." p

That was not near enough for Ron. He burst with a hundred other questions. Most of which involved why they'd be busy. p

"We can't tell you anymore," Hermione said, gently. 'Now he's going to be mad.' p

'Yeah, I suspect so. Just great!' - Harry. p

It was obvious Ron was trying to be as understanding as he possibly could. He numbly nodded his head and went off to find a book. p

'Hermione, there's a leaf in your hair.' Harry thought, looking over at Hermione. p

'Urgh, everything gets stuck in my hair.' She began to feel through her bushy ponytail, discovering the oak leaf and jamming it in her pocket. ' Don't look so superior!' She thought in an annoyed tone. Harry had been smirking as she pulled the leaf out. Hermione continued. 'Your hair is pointed in fifty different directions!' p

Harry laughed, then Hermione. When Ron returned with a copy of Crystal Gazing his two best friends were laughing hysterically at the insults that were going back and forth in their heads. p

"What's so funny?" he asked. p

"Nothing," Hermione answered. p

Harry straightened up and looked at his watch, "Oooh, Hermione, we've got to go. We promised Dumbledore --." p

"Yeah, okay. Bye, Ron. See you in a few days," Hermione followed a waving Harry out of the store, laden with bags full of books. p

  
  


"I hope Ron's not too upset," Hermione sighed. p

Harry and Hermione were in a room that had been enchanted to make it look like the outdoors. They were sitting on plush green grass, leaning against a couple of rocks, playing Exploding Snap. p

"He'll be alright. We can always pretend that we're not doing anything, and that Dumbledore just wanted to inform us on what could happen," Harry said, placing the winning card on top of the deck. It exploded. p

"When do we go on out first mission?" Hermione asked, collecting the cards. p

"I'm not sure, but I heard Lupin tell McGonagall it'd have to be soon." p

  
  


The night of the feast was when the difficulties began. Ron was friendly enough and tried to talk to Harry during the feast. Ron's talk about the Chudley Cannons was interesting for about one minute, and then he began to ramble on. At this point, Hermione kept thinking a conversation to Harry about a Revolving Spell, which he found more interesting. They must have had a glazed look in their eyes because Ron became startled. p

"Hey, guys. Why're you staring at each other like that?" p

"Huh?" Harry asked, looking over at Ron. p

"Oh, wait, I get it. You two like each other! You're going out!" Ron burst. p

Hermione dropped her fork. 'He thinks I'm going out with Harry!' p

'Hey!' p

'Sorry, Harry! But --.' p

'He thinks I'm going out with Hermione!' p

"N-no, you're mistaken, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. p

"That has to be it!" Ron said, talking more to himself than Harry and Hermione, "And that'd explain why they were at Diagon Alley together!" p

"Ron," Harry began, but the Weasley twins beat him to it. p

"Hey, Ronniekins, what's going on?" George asked, from down the table. p

"Harry and Hermione are going out!" he yelled back. p

'Well, now the whole house thinks we are! This is awful! I don't want to go out with you!' Hermione thought. p

'Come on!' Harry growled in thought. p

They got up and left the table. p

"Where are you two going?" Fred asked, slyly. p

"To talk outside," Harry replied, quickly.p

They really went to the Griffindor common room. p

"I say we levitate his bed tonight and make it spin around until he goes flying off!" Harry punched his fist. p

"Harry, you know it was just a misunderstanding. Ron didn't mean us any harm." p

"How can you be so certain," Harry demanded. p

"Because I know Ron, and I thought you did, too." p

Harry sighed a sigh of surrender. p

"Let's practice making things disappear and reappear. We're not as good at that." p

"Fine," Harry said, glumly. p

Being able to do extensive magic was great fun. In ten minutes time, all of the common room's furniture was gone, leaving a clean slate. Harry could feel the magic surging through him as he filled the room with trees and bushes. Hermione had gotten off track and was blowing sugary bubbles out of her wand tip. They were both running around, trying to catch the bubbles in their mouth. They collided at one point, falling to the floor, laughing. Harry picked Hermione by the waist and raised her as high in the air as he could. He was swinging her around when Ginny Weasley walked in. p

  
  


Ginny laid in bed, staring at the canopy above her. 'He loves Hermione -- not me. I'm glad I told Ron, though.' p

  
  


"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you! I don't like Hermione, and we're not going out!" Harry yelled. p

Neville, Seamus, and Dean were congregated on Seamus's bed, watching Ron and Harry argue. p

"You have to like her! Ginny told me what was going on in the common room during the feast!" p

"Oooh, what?" Dean interrupted, receiving a glare from Harry. p

"There were trees and bubbles in the common room, and Harry was spinning Hermione around on his shoulders!" Ron screamed. p

"He's gone mad, Harry," Seamus announced. p

"It's true," Harry mumbled, where it was barely audible. p

"What!" Neville, Seamus, and Dean said at once. p

"But, I don't like her! We were just practicing what we came to this school to learn -- magic!" Harry finished in a tone of finality, exiting the room.p

"Ron doesn't understand anything!" Harry spat, looking down at the common room floor. p

"That's because we can't tell him anything!" p

Harry grunted in reply. Hermione bent the corners of the book in her lap, deep in thought. p

"Harry, we can't be worrying about this when we need to concentrate on school and the missions, which could start any day now. McGonagall told me so." p

"They keep saying that, but we don't know when it will start or what we'll be doing!" Harry practically screamed. He made a china plate appear in his outstretched hand and then threw it into the fire out of anger. p

"Harry, calm down," Hermione pleaded. p

Normally, Harry would retaliate, but he looked over at Hermione, read her thoughts, decided her feelings, and subdued himself. This was how it was going to be, he could argue with Ron, his best friend, but no longer could he yell or fight with Hermione, his accomplice. p

  
  


'Harry! Harry!' p

Harry jumped at the sound of his name. Was someone calling him? Or was that just his imagination? He sat up in bed, and slowly pulled back the curtains of this four poster. Nobody was there. p

'Harry! Listen to me!' p

Was that Hermione's voice? p

'Hermione? Are you in my head?' p

'Yes. I thought you'd never wake up!' p

'Well, stop doing that! You scared!' p

'But it's an emergency!' p

'The missions?' p

'Not exactly.' p

'What's wrong?' p

'Ginny's missing.' p

'Missing? Ginny?' p

'Yes, but don't wake Ron. Just come over to the girl's dormitory, and wear your invisibility cloak.' p

'What happened!' p

'Get over here!' p

'Fine.' p

Harry pulled on his bathrobe, grabbed the cloak, and snuck out of the room. A few

minutes later, he found himself walking down the deserted corridors, listening to Hermione's thoughts. They decided it was best to read each other's minds instead of taking a chance that Filch or Mrs. Norris would hear them. p

'Oh, Harry, it frightened me so much. Everything was really strange. She must be walking around in her nightgown because her robe was left hanging on the post, and she doesn't have her wand. . . .' p

'I still don't understand why you're so worried. You, me, and Ron have snuck out of the tower hundreds of times since we've been here, and no one came looking for us -- except that stupid cat.' p

'Harry, this is different. Ginny was very upset when she went to bed, and I'm just --.' p

'Shhh. I hear something.' p

'I'm not talking out loud! You're reading my thoughts!' p 

' Yeah, but I can't hear with you in my head!' p

'Well -- .' p

'And don't start giggling.' p

Harry stopped at the corner of a long corridor that led to the Astronomy Tower. He heard a faint crying. p

'Hermione, someone's crying down there.' p

'Is it Ginny?' p

'Umm. . .I'm not sure. Let's go.' p

They inched down the hall, trying not to make a sound or step out from under the Invisibility Cloak. It was indeed Ginny Weasley that was propped up against a suit of armor, her face buried in her hands, weeping, but she was not alone. Ron was sitting right next to her, cradling her as best he could in his arms. Harry tapped into Hermione's thoughts, and was surprised to hear that she wasn't thinking anything. She was just staring at brother and sister, crying in the hallway. p

'Come.' Harry tugged at Hermione's hand and guided her down the hallway. They were standing only a few feet away from the siblings when Ron and Ginny began talking about the very two people they weren't aware were in the hall with them. Harry knew that Hermione wanted to leave and give them privacy, but Harry was still upset with Ron and thought he deserved for his privacy to be invaded. p

"Do you really think he loves her?" Ginny sniffled. p

A grave expression passed across Ron's face, " Harry doesn't love Hermione." p

"But you said -- ." p

"Forget what I said, I was just being jealous." (This made Harry feel relieved. He didn't have to be mad at Ron anymore.) p

"Do you like her?" p

"Who, Hermione?" p

"Yes, stupid," Ginny sighed. p

Ron looked down at his sister's tear-stained face, "A little, yes." p

Harry thought Hermione was going to faint. He could feel her body going limp and sensed that she was in shock. He had to grab her under the arms and inch her closer to the wall, so she wouldn't fall to the floor. p

"Well," Ginny continued, "what are they up to then?" p

"I don't know," Ron replied, stony faced, "You say there were bubbles? And trees?" p

"And he was spinning her around." p

Ron stared at his feet, concentrating, "Maybe they really were practicing magic," he sighed, "Come on, Ginny. We need to get back to the common room." p

Ron and Ginny lifted themselves from the base of the suit of armor and stretched. Harry could hear Ron saying as they walked away, "And don't go running around in the middle of the night by yourself anymore. Harry's already saved your life once." Harry wished Ron hadn't done that because the next sound was of Ginny's sobs. p

'Hermione. Are you alright?' p

'Ron likes me.' p

'Yeah, I heard.' p

'Are you not the least bit surprised!' Hermione pried. p

'No, not really. He seemed pretty jealous last year when you went to the ball with Krum.' Harry thought back, pulling Hermione down the hall to the common room. p

'And you didn't tell me! I would have liked to have known that -- that -- .' p.

'-- Ron likes you.' Harry smirked. p

Hermione might not have been able to see the amusement on Harry's face, but she sensed it and playfully punched him in the shoulder ( a very un-Hermione thing to do, may I point out ). p

'Do you like Ron?' Harry asked, as he apparated them into the common room so he wouldn't have to awaken the Fat Lady. p

'No, but it's funny that he likes me.' p

Harry grinned again. p

'And will you stop doing that!' Hermione laughed, sliding our from underneath the Invisibility Cloak. p

"Good-night, Hermione," Harry yawned, and started up the stairs to the dormitories, but before he vanished from sight, he made a little beating heart inscribed with Ron and Hermione appear in Hermione's hand. He received a blow from a miniature Bludger in the back of the head. p

  
  


The next morning at breakfast, Ron relayed the latest quidditch scores to Harry. Hermione kept herself from thinking messages to Harry. It obviously distracted him, and she didn't want another row like the night before. p

"What's on our schedule for this morning?" Ron asked Hermione. p

"Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed, and withdrew something from her bag. p

Hermione handed Harry and Ron their schedules that she'd gotten from McGonagall earlier that morning. Once Ron looked down at his paper, Hermione sent Harry a look that meant they needed to talk later. Harry quickly mouthed 'okay', and returned to his bacon and toast. p

"Urgh, we've got Potions first. Double Potions! They're torturing us!" Ron moaned. p

"Well, we better go then," Hermione said, gathering her things. p

Ron suddenly remembered that he'd forgotten to put quills in his bag, so he ran back up to the common room while Harry and Hermione walked to potions. p

"What did you want to tell me?" Harry asked, under his breath. p

"When I went to get our schedules, McGonagall said to meet her in Dumbledore's office at midnight tonight. They want us to um. . .gather some information for them. . .I think it might be our first mission!" Hermione finished, excitedly. p

Harry allowed the idea to turn over in his mind a couple of times before he looked over and smiled at Hermione. Then he began to feel nervous. What if something went wrong? Death Eaters? Danger? A flash crossed his mind -- diving from the Astronomy Tower. This was all a part of being Harry Potter, and he couldn't help that. Yeah, the missions were going to be excellent, even if Ron couldn't come. p

  
  


During Harry and Hermione's afternoon break, Lupin insisted that they practice spells they had learned over the summer. p

"You never know what could happen," he kept telling them. p

They met in an empty room in the dungeons, and when they first walked in, Harry was strongly reminded of the Slytherin common room, even if there wasn't any furniture in the deserted classroom. p

"Okay, why don't we try something easy to start with?" Lupin smiled, "Pause time." p

Harry and Hermione hadn't practiced this outside of the lessons. Both were a bit afraid they'd permanently stop time. They raised wands -- p

"No wands," Lupin grinned, mischievously, "Marauders don't need wands." p

Harry suddenly remembered the title as the Second Marauders Lupin had given them during the summer. He thought of Sirius and his father -- best friends. He hadn't realized the warm expression on Hermione's face. She'd been reading his thoughts. p

"Alright," Hermione whispered. p

'How do we do this without our wands?' Harry thought. p.

'Just think about what you want to do.' Hermione laughed. p

Harry concentrated very hard on pausing time and muttered the spell over and over in his head. He had to do this. He could do this. He would -- p

"Harry!" Hermione called. p

Harry looked up at Hermione. He hadn't hear a sound except for her voice. p

"We did it!"she squealed, jabbing a finger in Lupin's direction. He was frozen in a standing position. p

"So, what do we do now?" Harry asked. p

"Well, everyone and everything is completely still -- in the wizard world anyway. Want to go do something to the Slytherins?" p

It amazed Harry how fun Hermione could be when time was paused and she didn't have to worry about being caught by a teacher or getting blamed for something she wouldn't have had "time" to do. p

"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked. p

"Did you hear what happened to the Slytherins!" Lee Jordon came through the portrait hole, practically skipping. p

"What?" Fred called from the other side of the room. p

"One second all of the Slytherins are just sitting in their classrooms, the next, they all have snakes wrapped around their heads, purple hair, green skin, and worts. And that Malfoy kid also had a couple of ferrets running around on his desk. It took Flitwick, McGonagall, and Trelawny an hour to get rid of all the snakes!" Lee announced to the entire house. p

Everyone started clapping, cheering, and laughing. p

"Finally they got what was coming to them!" someone yelled.p

"Ruddy brilliant," George murmured, "Who did it?" p

"No one knows," Lee said, mysteriously. p

'Mission accomplished.' Hermione thought. p

'Yeah, mission -- mission! Hermione, what time is it!' Harry panicked. p

'Eleven-thirty! We better go!' p

'How are we going to get out without anyone seeing us?' p

'Go up to your dormitory and apparate.' p

'Got it. See you in a few minutes. Dumbledore's office.' p

Harry and Hermione got up and went to their dormitories as discreetly as they possibly could. Once Harry pushed open the door to the fifth year boy's room, he checked to make sure no one was in view. It was clear. He grabbed his wand from the bedside table, swished it around a couple of times, and apparated out of the room. p

Ron pulled himself out from under his bed. He'd been looking for his History of Magic report that had fallen out of his ripped bag earlier, and he could have sworn that Harry's legs and feet had just disappeared. p

  
  


"Thank-you, Minerva, but -- oh, here they are!" Dumbledore smiled cheerfully as Hermione apparated in his office, followed by Harry. p

"Hello, professor," Harry said. p

"Take a seat. Take a seat. I need to explain what you'll be doing tonight," Dumbledore motioned to the chairs beside him. p

Harry and Hermione took seats, each a bit nervous. p

"Alright, to business. Harry, do you remember a Mrs. Figg?" p

Harry was startled by the strange question and had to think if he knew a Mrs. Figg, "Yes. She lives a couple of streets away from the Dursleys." p

"That's correct, but she's also a witch that has been keeping an eye on you since you were a year old. She's in trouble, and the two of you need to get her out of it." p

"What's wrong!" Hermione gasped. p

"Lucious Malfoy has her stationed at his home under the Imperious Curse. Now, sources tell me that the Inner Circle is having a meeting tonight, and Mr. Malfoy won't be at his house. Therefore, this is the perfect opportunity to go and get her. However, you can't bring her back here while she's under the Imperious Curse. There's no telling what Lucious has her believing right now. You must break the curse for her. This has never been known to happen, but you'll be able to think of something. Work together. Together. Now if you will both apparate to the Malfoy's house -- ."p

"Professor," Harry interrupted, "How are we supposed to break the curse? How do we know what room she's in? Is she strong enough to apparate? Can -- ." p

"Harry, I can't help you," Dumbledore said. p

"What! Why? Do you expect us to go in there -- ." p

'You're yelling at the headmaster, Harry.' Hermione thought in a disapproving tone. p

"Please," Dumbledore spoke, calmly, "The reason I cannot help you is that I don't know how. The magic that Lupin has taught you to feel and acknowledge is a magic that has developed specifically for you. Good magic works by bonds of friendship or the inner magic and power each of you individually possesses. I told you that there are things you can do that you're not aware of. This is still true. You see, this magic is your own, personalized magic. That's why wands and spells aren't required. You create the magic, not just repeat it. Harry, Hermione, you will come up with a way to break the curse. I have every confidence that you will, but you must leave now before it's too late." p

  
  


Ron Weasley dashed into the common room, searching for his little sister. Ginny was sitting by the fireplace, playing Wizard Chess with Colin Creevey. p

"Ginny," Ron ran over to her. p

"Ron, what is it?" she dropped her bishop, looking alarmed. p

"Come with me." p

Ron grabbed her by the wrist and led her out of the common room and into the hall. p

"We're not supposed to be out here this late. Everyone's about to go to bed," Ginny said, exasperated. p

"You didn't seem to care much about being out of the tower last night!" Ron huffed. p

"Well," Ginny bit the bottom of her lip, "that was different." p

"Sure, anyway, I have to tell you something." p

"What?" she put her hands on her hips. p

"Harry just disappeared." p 

"Maybe he went to the kitchens to get some food, or -- ." p

"No, Ginny, I don't mean that I can't find him. I mean he disappeared. He was standing in our dormitory, then he kind of -- of vanished." p

Ginny screwed up her face, trying to think about what Ron was telling her, "Like he apparated?" p

"Yeah, like that, only you can't apparate in Hogwarts, besides, Harry doesn't know how to." p

"Ron?" p

"Yeah?" p

"Is Hermione in there?" p

"Hermione? Why wouldn't she -- oh." p

Harry groped for anything to hold onto, but all that surrounded him was air. Then he felt something run through is clawing fingers. He grabbed hold, and -- p

'Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Harry let go of my hair!' i

' Whoops, sorry. Where are we?' Harry thought, glad that Hermione was next to him. P

' Somewhere in the Malfoy's house.' i

'I guessed that, but which room?' i

'How am I supposed to know!' i

'I have an idea.' i

'What?' i

'Let's pause time, then we can move around and get some light.' i

'Oh, that's a brilliant plan! We can also find Mrs. Figg while it's paused!' i

Harry and Hermione concentrated on the pausing of time, and once Harry felt a surge of power leave his body, he opened his eyes. It was still pitch black, and he couldn't tell if it had worked or not yet. p

'Hermione?' he thought, just in case they hadn't really paused time. p

'Harry? Should we get some light in here?' she asked. p

'Yeah.' i

"Lumos," Hermione whispered into the darkness. p

The beam from Hermione's wand showed a small broom closet. Which was really a broom closet, for there were several superb racing brooms hanging from the walls. Harry gaped at the newest broom that had come out -- FireStreak -- brother to his Firebolt. p

"Harry, what time is it?" Hermione asked, tugging at the sleeve of his robes to get his attention. p

"Huh," Harry mumbled, eyes not leaving the broom. Thinking it was a stupid question. p

"It is not stupid," Hermione snapped, grabbing his wrist and looking at his watch. p

"Why do you want to know?" p

"Good. Your watch has stopped. We can leave this dreadful closet," she sighed, pulling Harry away from the brooms and out of the closet. p

They stepped out into a magnificent entrance hall, with marble floor tiles and several chandeliers. There were a couple of houselves frozen next to a table, holding feather dusters. Hermione made an unrecognizable noise in her throat and began peering into the rooms that lined the entrance hall. Harry, on the other hand, was walking around in circles thinking the possibilities over. p

"Hermione, we're in the Malfoy's house. There's no telling what kind of dirt we could collect while we're here. I say the first place we go is the drawing room. Remember Ron and I told you that while we Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy said they had a bunch of Dark Arts stuff under the drawing room floor -- ." p

"Harry, that's not shy we're here though. Fun as that sounds," she smirked, "we have to find Mrs. Figg." p

Harry gave another one of this famous sighs of surrender and slowly followed Hermione up the stairs. p

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts -- p

"Dumbledore," Remus Lupin looked into the small, oval mirror, "you're telling me that this is what is going on right now?" p

"That is correct." p

"But they've paused time. We can't be looking at the present. We can't be breathing."

"Oh, I have my ways. . .but that is not important right now. We must see how well they work together on this mission. I want to make sure they don't need anymore training. I want tem to be prepared to face Voldemort." p

Lupin looked back down at the mirror, which didn't show his reflection in return, but a vision of what Harry and Hermione were doing at that exact moment, "But you told them they weren't expected to face Voldemort. They're not trained for Voldemort!" he cired. p

"I didn't want to make them nervous. Besides, I'm afraid all the training in the world wouldn't help them with Voldemort. It's more of fate. Harry's fate." p

"Then what's Hermione need for?" p

"Did you ever think that Miss Granger might be a part of Harry's fate?" p

Lupin gave Dumbledore a quizzical expression. p

"He needs her desperately," Dumbledore replied, simply. p

"Doesn't he need Ron Weasley as well? I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding where you're coming from." p

"Mr. Weasley's is a different fate from Harry and Hermione's." p

Lupin nodded that he was beginning to understand, then opened his mouth as if to ask another question. It hung open for several seconds, but closed again. p

"Go ahead and ask your question, Remus." p

"What is Harry and Hermione's gifts? You told them they both had unique talents and gifts." p

"Don't you think that being able to perform a magic that most adult wizards aren't capable of is enough of a gift?" p

"I'm surprised they haven't done as much as they are capable of and have been taught around the castle. I know if Sirius, Peter, me and James -- ." Lupin stopped abruptly, "But there's more to it than that, isn't there? Something is different about Harry Potter and Hermione as well. Voldemort had a reason to kill Harry when he was a baby, still does; now he has a reason to kill Hermione too. Doesn't he?" p

Dumbledore stared soberly back at Lupin. p

Harry and Hermione had found Mrs. Figg in an upstairs bed chamber, sitting stiff and frozen in an elaborate arm chair. p

"She looks -- Petrified," Harry whispered (Although no one would have heard him even if he had screamed it). p

"Well, she's paused in time," Hermione remarked, knowingly. p

"I'm surprised she couldn't throw off the Imperious Curse," Harry said, thoughtfully. p

"Well, not everyone's Harry Potter," Hermione said, still a bit sour over the fact that Harry had been able to throw off the curse in Moody's class and she hadn't. p

Hermione immediately regretted what she had said and looked over at Harry apologetically, "I'm so sorry." p

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it like that. You hang around Ron too much, do you know that?" Harry ended with a laugh. He himself hung around Ron whenever he got the chance. Just because he knew more about Hermione, didn't remove the fact that Ron had been his first real friend. p

"Anyway," Hermione pressed on, clearly wanting to get to business, "how do we unfreeze her or whatever it is that we have to do? But without unpausing time. We certainly don't want to be caught in here." p

"Umm," Harry responded, "didn't Dumbledore say something about how we invent the magic?" p

"Oh, yes, of course!" Hermione exclaimed, "Harry, you're a genius! We use Good magic, so we make it -- ." p

"Then let's do it," Harry mumbled, wishing he were back at the castle already. p

"How?" Hermione looked over at Harry. p

"I-I don't know. Haven't you read anything about Good magic?" p

"No. I don't think it's something that can be expressed in words," she said, distraught. 

Harry was trying to concentrate on all the things that Lupin had taught them. There didn't seem to be anything that would help them in this situation. He looked at Mrs. Figg, and began to think of Privet Drive and his pre-Hogwarts days. Mrs. Figg had always been nice, even if she had owned a lot of annoying cats. Harry reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, wondering if she had known his parents. Possibly she once taught them? p

Then it happened. p

A few seconds after Harry had placed his hand on the old woman's shoulder, a feeling of electricity and energy shot through his fingertips. His fingers turned bright green, and there was warmth moving up his arms and legs. He could see Hermione's shocked expression, but instead of tapping into her thoughts, like he meant to (He felt incapable of speaking.), all he could hear were choruses of unfamiliar words echoing in his head. What were they? Chants? No. Warnings? No. Spells? Yes. The energy was coursing through his entire body now, giving him a throbbing headache. What was going on! He recognized that his lips were forming silent words. Hermione was dancing around him, trying to decide what to do to help him. Then, as quick as it started it was all over. p

The headache was gone, his fingers were their regular color, and there were no more pulsating spasms of energy shooting through him. He gaped at Hermione, waiting for her to say or do something, but all she could do was stare at Mrs. Figg. Harry, dimly aware ofwhat would face him if he turned around, looked over his shoulder and down at the woman. She was blinking and taking sharp breaths. Hermione stepped away, frightened, "How did you do that?" She barely whispered. p

"I don't know," Harry said, "Maybe it was something to do with Good magic." p

Hermione was still lost for intelligent words. p

"You try it," Harry suggested, his heart beating fast. What was going on? p

Hermione looked at him incredulously. p

"Come on," he persisted, "I unfroze her, somehow. See it you can knock her out of the Imperious Curse." p

Full of trepidation, Hermione stepped up to Mrs. Figg, who was sitting in the chair, staring blankly into space. p

"Dumbledore said we shouldn't bring her back while she's under the curse," Harry reminded Hermione. p

Hermione nodded and like Harry, put a hand on Mrs. Figg's shoulder. The woman didn't move or even acknowledge Hermione's touch. Harry could see that Hermione was concentrating very hard on the task at hand, and there were moments when Mrs. Figg would voluntarily open her mouth or drum her fingers, but something was wrong. Then Harry felt a tug near his heart, and that same electric feeling was passing through him once more. Hermione was pulling some of Harry's magical power to herself. How was that possible? A dim, green light shone from Harry, and he saw Hermione jump back in shock as if something had hit her. She must have received what she'd wanted because the next moment Mrs. Figg had aroused. p

Harry and Hermione both let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion. Harry walked over to Mrs. Figg and waved a hand in front of her face to see if she was out from under the curse. p

"Oh, hello, Harry, dear. How long have I been here? Did Albus send you?" p

Harry and Hermione exchanged amazed looks. p

  
  


"That's incredible," Lupin breathed, leaning on the edge of Dumbledore's desk. p

Harry and Hermione had just relayed the night's event to Dumbledore, Lupin, and Arabella Figg. Dumbledore and Lupin had watched it all, but Mrs. Figg didn't have a clue as to what was going on. p

"It seems that you can call upon help from the other," Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, "That must be how Hermione pulled power from Harry." p

Dumbledore had been most interested in this part of the story. It hadn't been known to happen before. Of course, neither had breaking the Imperious Curse set by a different wizard, but he had had the upmost confidence that they'd achieve that. p

"Yes, you two are most interesting wizards. However, you still need rest. I must insist that you both get to bed." p

Harry and Hermione slowly made their way to the common room. The castle was unusually quiet, but then again it had to be three o'clock in the morning by that time. They had been too tired to apparate and decided to take the chance of being caught by Filch. Once they reached the dormitory steps, Harry and Hermione traded good night hugs and departed to their rooms. p

Harry saw Ron's silhouette through the bed curtains. It looked like he was hunched over a book. p

"Ron?" Harry whispered. p

No response. p

'He probably doesn't want to talk.' Harry thought, pulling back his four poster curtains. p

'Harry, I'm trying to go to sleep.' A girl's voice was in his head. p

'Sorry, Hermione. Didn't mean to think that to you.' i

Harry fell on his bed and entered a blissful sleep. p

  
  


What seemed like hours later, Harry awoke to complete silence. He got out of bed and went to look out the window. It was still pitch black, and the moon was shining high above the horizon. Puzzled, Harry checked his watch. It wasn't ticking, and not a hand was moving. He and Hermione had forgotten to unpause time! He had to wake her up, but he wanted to be certain first. A quick glance at Ron's hunched silhouette told him that he was right. p

'Hermione! HERMIONE!' i

She wasn't waking. p

Harry made his way to the girl's dormitory. Leaning over he bed, he saw she was out of it. He poked her with his wand, shook her shoulders, and yelled in her ear. It wasn't until he said, "Maybe there's a spell I could use in some book." that she stirred. p

"Somebody say something about a book?" Hermione asked, groggily. p

"It's me," Harry said, lighting the fire in the torch brackets with a wave of his hand. p

"What?" Hermione snapped. p

"We forgot to unpause time," Harry explained. p

Hermione gasped and jumped from her bed, "We should go somewhere else, just in case someone's awake." p

Harry nodded and they went out into the hall. The now normal feeling of incredible power grew in him until he was sure that everything was right again. He let go of Hermione's hand, and they departed. p

Hermione stumbled back in her room, extinguished the lights, and was making her way to bed when Harry thought something to her. p

"Harry Potter get out of my head!" she laughed out loud before collapsing in bed. p

Ginny Weasley widened the crack between wall and bathroom door, her face falling. p

  
  


The next day in Charms, Professor Flitwick gave a lesson on making objects appear out of nowhere using a wand and complicated spells. Harry and Hermione were bored. The other classmates were having much trouble with the charms, including Ron who was practicing with Harry and Hermione in the back of the room. p

"I just don't see how you do it," Ron moaned for the hundredth time, "You two make it look easy." p

'If he only knew the half of it!' Harry thought. p

He and Hermione had been pretending to say the spells and make the objects appear with their wand but were really using Good magic. When no one was looking, Harry made a painting of Malfoy being tortured appear, but Hermione forced him to get rid of it. Their act had been working well up until the point that Flitwick walked by to observe. He asked Harry to demonstrate after Ron and Hermione to follow Harry. Ron didn't produce anything but a wisp of smoke. Then it was Harry's turn. He held out his wand and said the spell to make a chest of drawers appear. However, he had been thinking about lunch, and a four course meal complete with after dinner mints popped up. Flitwick stared at Harry and then the meal, Harry, meal, Harry meal, then he took Harry's wand. p

"Make a grandfather clock appear -- without your wand," he squeaked. p

"But I need my wand, sir." p

"No -- you don't." p

'What am I supposed to do?' Harry asked Hermione. p

'Pause time and we'll go ask Dumbledore.' i

They paused time and left the classroom in search of the headmaster. p

"You want us to let everyone know!" p

It was Hermione who was yelling at the headmaster this time. p

"You shouldn't have to hide your unique talents. You both need to be in advanced classes. You can do all the magic, but you still need to practice. Or else you wouldn't have to go to classes. I knew this would happen. Besides, you're wasting valuable mission time by practicing spells you could do before they taught it to you. I'm encouraging you to let everyone know. Perhaps if the world knows, the Dark side will be less eager to capture either of you." p

There was no argument. Dumbledore always knew best. But Harry still didn't want people to know. It would make him even more of a prodigy. Hermione was with him this time though. That was the only reason he was going to reveal it. p

"But don't tell anyone about the missions. Alright?" Dumbledore almost looked severe. p

They agreed. p

  
  


"But I need my wand, sir." p.

"No -- you don't." p

Harry and Hermione had unpaused time and were left to deal with Flitwick. Harry thought it was stupid and pointless to let everyone know what they could do. He hated attention. Hermione gave him an encouraging look that meant 'I'll tell my secret too.' Harry smiled, and the next instant, an elaborate grandfather clock appeared beside Flitwick. Harry's wand was still in the professor's hand. Flitwick gasped. Hermione, rather hesitantly, cleared her throat and made another more intricate clock appear beside Harry's. p

"Showoff," Harry grinned. p

Ron was staring from Harry to Hermione, Harry, Hermione, Harry, Hermione, the clocks. Then he fainted. p

"Mr. Weasley will be fine!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Ron had been out cold for an hour, and Harry and Hermione were standing outside the infirmary, badgering the professor. They'd go visit him, but Madam Pomfrey had become even more strict over the summer vacation, and refused to let anyone visit him until he had almost fully recovered. McGonagall clutched her papers and books tightly and stormed down the hallway. p

"She's in a sour mood today," Harry remarked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. p

"Do you want to go see him?" Hermione quietly suggested. p

"But we're not allowed." p

"We pause time, go in there, unfreeze Ron, answer his questions, and unpause time. That simple." p

Harry considered the plan for a moment. He hadn't talked to anyone besides McGonagall and Hermione since he and Hermione had revealed their "secret". No one knew why they were able to perform magic without wands and didn't know the extent of their abilities, and Harry knew everyone was bound to be inventing all sorts of crazy reasons for their gifts. He wasn't sure if he was prepared to face anyone, even Ron. What would happen now? Harry was seriously beginning to doubt Dumbledore's judgement. Nonetheless, he nodded his head, and they began to concentrate on pausing time . . . . p

(A/N: I'm going to skip some stuff that happens after that and cut right to the good stuff. Let's just say that they tell Ron, but he's not to thrilled. It'll explain more in the next chapter. I apologize for being a bit vague in these last few parts, but I promise the story intensifies in Chapter two. Whew! Chapter one was LOOOOOOOOONG!!!! Did you enjoy it? Please Read and Review.) PLEASE, PLEASE, PUT UNDER FAVORITES AND CHECK BACK FOR NEW CHAPTERS!!! Oh, and i love reviews :) 368writer

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter Two

(A/N: Chapter two is up!!! Chapter two is up!!! I'm soooo happy! Couldn't you tell? Anyway, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! I love reviews ... who doesn't? Okay, so enjoy!)

Disclaimer : All characters belong to J. K. Rowling

  
  


Chapter 2 - 

  
  


It had been a month since school had started, and things were finally beginning to fall in place. Hermione had gone back to her usual study habits ( eat, sleep, study, eat, sleep, study . . .), and Harry's quidditch practices were back on. A fourth year boy by the name of Alex Creton was the new keeper. Fred Weasley was the captain (although he and George pretended to be the other frequently during practices, confusing everyone). Ron didn't seem too upset about Harry and Hermione's "special powers" but wasn't quite himself. Speaking of the powers, the entire school knew that Harry and Hermione could do unusual things but never demonstrated their gifts, so most people didn't think much about it. They didn't even know Harry and Hermione could pause time, pull power from each other, or apparate. Truthfully, Lupin and Dumbledore weren't convinced that was the extent of their abilities. That's why they changed the two friends' schedules -- in order to test them. p

One morning during the third week of school, Professor Lupin dropped by the Griffindor table and casually slipped an envelope under both Harry and Hermione's porridge bowls. Turned out, they were pulled from every class they were currently in, except for History of Magic, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, and in Hermione's case, Arithmancy. Their talents weren't very helpful in those classes, considering little magic was involved. Dumbledore had assigned them to two classes Harry hadn't even known Hogwarts offered -- Fighting the Dark Side and So Now You Want to Test the Extent of Your Magical Powers. Magical Powers or MP for short. And Harry and Hermione were asked to meet Professor Lupin Monday and Thursday evening to practice. Ron was upset about this, and complained about being alone in three of his classes. p

Harry and Hermione tried to live up to their title "The Second Marauders" and caused more mischief than they usually would. One day Harry had gone to visit the merpeople and convinced them to create a tidal wave and whirlpool while Malfoy and his cronies were out swimming. Hermione refused to admit to being part of this, but Harry had seen her taking pictures for future blackmail reference. p

They had also started pausing time, then going to Sirius so they could talk with him more often. Harry and Hermione were becoming quite good at unfreezing people locked in paused time. p

Yes, things were almost normal -- well, things were normal for Hogwarts anyway, but other missions lay ahead of them, as did trials and hardships. Dark, difficult days were to come. p

  
  


"Harry, will you hand me that -- ." Hermione began, but Harry already knew what she wanted and with a flick of his hand it was sent across the table to her. p

Hermione caught her book for Magical Powers and mumbled a thanks to Harry. Ron sat there and stared for a while. Harry and Hermione had never come out and said it, but Ron suspected they could read minds -- or at least the other person's. p

"There, I'm finished," Hermione announced, slapping her quill down on the table. p

"Good," Ron said, sighing, "I've been waiting for the two of you to get done!" p

"Well, Professor Lupin went 'homework assigning happy' in Fighting the Dark Side today," Harry said, packing his things up. p

"Ron?" Ginny approached their table, and tapped her brother on the shoulder to get his attention. p

"Yeah?" Ron responded, not looking over at his sister. p

"Can I talk to you a sec?" p

"Sure," Ron yawned, leaving the table and going to the portrait hole with Ginny. p

"I wonder what that was all about," Hermione said. p

Harry shrugged, then smiled mischievously, "You up for a game of Curse Dodging?" p

"In here? With everyone watching?" Hermione murmured, taking a look around the common room. p

"Are you scared you'll lose?" Harry smiled, again. p

Hermione hated it when Harry smiled at her like that. She always ended giving up and agreeing to whatever he wanted. p

"I could beat the 'great Harry Potter' anytime," she scoffed, shuffling papers around, trying to find her wand. p

"No wands." p

"Oh, okay," she stood up and they retreated to a corner. p

"Only one rule," Harry instructed, "You can't take power from your opponent. Do you remember the last time I took power from you? You were muggle for half an hour, while Dumbledore tried to figure out a way to fix it." p

"Yes, I remember," Hermione snapped, wishing she could forget it, "Let's get on with it."

Curse Dodging was a game that Harry and Hermione had invented a few days before. The object of the game was to throw curses to your opponent continuously. If you or your opponent was unable to send a curse to the other during a five second interval, you lost. Of course, Harry and Hermione were the only ones capable of playing this game and hadn't told anyone about it yet. Hermione was very surprised when Harry had suggested playing right there in the common room around people. Maybe he was just tired of being so set apart and secretive. p

"GO!" Harry yelled. p

Ten minutes later, the whole Griffindor house was crowded around the two. The girls were cheering for Hermione and the guys were yelling for Harry. Everyone was a bit puzzled at first because Harry and Hermione didn't have to say spells -- it just happened, but they soon forgot that in the spirit of the game. p

'Ha! I got you now!' Hermione thought to Harry. p

He was chained to the floor and three seconds had already passed, but Harry melted away the chains and with a blink of his eye, Hermione was locked in a steamer trunk. p

'Harry Potter!' i

'That's what you get for chaining me to the floor. Very uncomfortable those chains were.' i

'You just wait until I get out!' i

'Yeah, yeah. . . .' i

At four seconds, Harry was frozen from head to toe. Icicles were hanging from the bridge of his nose and his hair was white with frost. All the girls in the room were giggling madly and a few of the boys sent a ball of fire Harry's way to melt him. The fire almost hit him when Harry sent it hurtling into the fireplace. p

"What are you trying to do -- kill me?" he asked aloud. p

Hermione just then got herself out of the steamer trunk. She climbed out of it then made it disappear. p

Harry saw it 'Harry, if you don't watch your back -- you might just be hit with Avada Kedavra!' Hermione joked, dusting her robes off. p

But just as the words echoed in her head a flash of green light emitted from her fingertips. coming and put all of his strength into pausing time. When the gasps from the crowd ceased and the room was silent he looked at Hermione. She was stiff with shock. p

"I didn't mean to send it!"she whimpered, beginning to shake. p

"I know," Harry said, "Evidently, if we think of the incantation to a spell in our heads, then we can perform regular magic without our wands. I think that's what happened to me that day with Mrs. Figg. I heard spells being repeated over in my mind, then she unfroze. Maybe I was doing ordinary magic then instead of Good. I'm not sure, but we need to be careful from now on." p

Hermione nodded numbly, then said, "That sounds right. My fingertips just turned green like yours did that day." p

"Well, I think I can jump out of the curse's way if I move over about a foot or so before unpausing time." p

Harry looked at the the green light hovering in the air and positioned himself a few feet away from it, "We'll make sure everyone understands you didn't try to kill me." p

The next instant, people were screaming again, and Harry landed with a thud on the carpeted floor. He grinned to himself, seeing that he was alive, and looked up at Hermione, but didn't find the same grin returned to him. She was deadly white and was staring at something behind Harry. Harry rolled over and lifted up his head. A few girls were squealing, but everyone else was absolutely silent. The portrait hole was cracked open and Ginny's limp form was lying as though dead on floor. Ron was kneeling beside her, eyes wide. Then he stared at a frightened Hermione and a stunned Harry with malice. Hermione's spell had hit Ginny. She was dead. p

'I killed Ginny!' Hermione panicked. p

Harry pulled himself from the floor and slowly made his way to Ron's side. Hermione began to follow him. p

'It'll be alright, Hermi.' Harry tried to sound reassuring, but it did no good. Hermione was sobbing softly into her hands, not daring to look at Ginny's pale body. She made a motion to reach out for Ron and comfort him, but he sprang from his kneeling position and backed away. p

"Leave murderer," he spat with malice, his eyes cold and deadly. p

"Ron, Hermione didn't mean to kill Ginny," Harry cried, thinking that last sentence sounded very strange. p

"Yeah, she tried to kill you, Harry!" Colin Creevey yelled from a corner of the room. Several heads nodded in agreement. p

Having forgotten the rest of the house was still there, Harry was a bit startled by this interruption, but rose to Hermione's defense nonetheless. p

"Hermione didn't want to kill me!" he nearly screamed, "You see, we -- we can think

-- ." p

"Harry," Hermione cut him off, "there's no need to explain to this lot about that. Everyone in here should know I would never mean to . . . ." her voice trailed away. p

Harry was shocked by her amount of composure and bravery -- of course, she was a Griffindor. After a moment of complete and utter silence, ignoring Ron's glare, Hermione leaned over Ginny and placed a palm against her cool face. p

'Harry, I've an idea. I need you.' Hermione seemed desperate. p

So, Harry too bent over the dead Weasley. p

'Think of Ginny's life. Who she was. Stuff like that --.' i

'What are we doing?' i

'Nevermind that -- just do what I said.' i

Harry gripped Ginny's lifeless hand tightly and thought of the Quidditch World Cup and how excited Ginny had been when England had scored that one goal. . . . p

That all too familiar feeling of magic and power was beating against harry's veins. He was getting warm and was aware of a faint glow emitting from him. p

"Where am I?" p

Harry's eyes popped open. The common room exploded ni gasps and yelps of surprise. A faint, silvery outline of Ginny Weasley was standing before him. It wasn't a ghost, but a -- a memory. Like those of his parents last year. p

Hermione had a sad pouting look on her face, "We try to restore life, and what do we get? Something a little less than a ghost!" p

Then what Harry had been expecting the whole time -- tears made rivers on Hermione's cheeks, and she ran from the room crying. p

"Harry? Harry Potter?" Ginny's memory was looking at Harry like she'd never met him before. p

Ron was furious and fled from the room screaming, "Murderer!" The twins had remained silent the whole time, but after Ron dashed away they tried in vain to explain things to Ginny's memory. Harry wasn't sure what had happened had quite sunk in yet. But surely it would. p

  
  


"She still won't come out?" Professor Dumbledore inquired, flipping through the humongous book's pages. p

"No, but I guess she has a right to stay in there. Nobody really wants her to come out," Harry replied, running his fingers through his inky black hair. p

His fingers had had a blue glow ever since Ginny's memory had appeared. p

"We must hurry, Harry," Dumbledore said, "There's no way of knowing how long Ginny's memory will stay." p

"Why are me fingers blue!" Harry sighed aloud. p

"I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with Good Magic, and this is the only book that explains even a bit about -- ah, here it is!" p

"What, professor?" p

Harry leaned over the book that was flipped open on Dumbledore's desk p

"I know why your fingers are turning blue! We need Miss Granger immediately! There is still hope for Miss Weasley!" p

Harry had never seen Professor Dumbledore looking so excited, "Oh, okay, I'll see if she'll come." p

'Hermione? Hermi? I know you can hear me.' Harry waited for a response. p

There was none.p

"I'm going to apparate up to her room to see what's the matter," Harry said, and popped out of Dumbledore's office. p

Hermione was fingering a quill lamely while staring out the window next to her bed. There were no other girls in the room. Harry assumed they refused to talk to her. p

"Hermione?" p

Hermione jumped and turned around to face Harry who was picking himself up off the floor. He still wasn't very good at landing upright when apparating somewhere. p

"Harry, you scared me! Don't do that!" Hermione allowed the quill to drop onto her stack of essays.p

"Look, Dumbledore says there's a way to revive or whatever it is we have to do to get Ginny back. He says that explains why our fingers have turned blue, and that he needs both of us now." p

Hermione held up her right hand and inspected her fingertips, "I hadn't noticed that they'd turned blue. Of course, I haven't had much time to think about anything but Azkaban." p

"You're not going to Azkaban." p

"Oh, yes I am. If no one else suggests it -- Ron will." p

"We can bring Ginny back, you know," Harry said, sitting on the edge of Hermione's neatly made bed. p

"HOW! We tried, Harry, and all we got was a memory -- a M-E-M-O-R-Y." p

"I know how to spell it. C'mon. We'll get this whole thing straightened out when we get to Dumbledore." p

Hermione looked reluctant, but disapparated with Harry. p

"But if we don't try -- I'm going to Azkaban!" Hermione yelled. p 

"Well, you should have thought of that before you killed me." Ginny said, shortly. p

"I am not arguing with a wisp of smoke!" Hermione stormed. p

"Hey! We smoke wisps have feelings too!" Ginny countered. p

"That made no sense," Harry stepped behind the hospital curtain with the two girls. Well, the girl and the memory. p

"Do not mock a dead person!" Ginny cried. p

"You're not going to be dead much longer," Harry reasoned. p

"I refuse to do it!" Ginny huffed. p

"GINNY YOU'RE DEAD! DEAD -- DO YOU HEAR ME!" Hermione burst, stomping her foot on the infirmary floor, "If you don't do it -- YOU'LL STAY DEAD!" p

"It's kind of fun being dead though," Ginny looked thoughtful. p

"I don't believe I'm hearing this," Harry moaned, " 'It's fun being dead!' Well, if it's so fun why don't I go try and attack the Whomping Willow!" p

"Harry, quit being so sarcastic," Ginny tried to playfully slap him, but her wispy hand just faded away. p

"You're not acting dead," Hermione concluded, "You're acting drunk." p

Madam Pomfrey wheeled the curtain away to reveal the rest of the hospital wing. p

"She's not acting like Ginny would. She's Ginny's memory. Whatever she says now is completely irrelevant to who she once was," Madam Pomfrey informed them. p

"What?" Harry asked, confused. p

"Nevermind. Let's just say that the only thing that transparent image before you is good for is to bring back the real Ginny." P

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione questioned, shooting nervous glances to the doors of the hospital wing. p

"He'll be here in a moment," Madam Pomfrey said, beginning to straighten bedsheets, "Here he comes now." p

Dumbledore swooped into the room, and beckoned for Harry and Hermione to start the process. p

"Oh, wait," Hermione said, "Ginny's memory refuses to do it." p

"Well, too bad for Ginny's memory - she's going to do it anyway," Harry snapped, "Now let's get on with this." p

"Okay, remember what we have to do, Harry. The reason it didn't work last time was because neither one of us knew Ginny that well -- there weren't enough memories to make it happen. But now, we've got Ginny's memory, so all we have to do is -- ." p

"Hermione, I've got it. I got it when the professor told us, and I got it the first two times you told me." p

"Oh, sorry, Harry." p

Harry and Hermione stood on either side of Ginny's memory and clasped hands to the memory's back and front. They both muttered unfamiliar words that were spinning around in their heads, and slowly the smoky outline of Ginny began to dissolve and the wisps ran between Harry and Hermione's cupped hands. Soon, there was no image of Ginny left, but the two's hands burned with a bright red and before they both fainted, Harry saw a whirlwind of colorful lights reflected off the windows. p

  
  


"Why oh why does he hate me so much?" p

"Well, you did kill his sister." p

"We brought her back! She's alive!" p

"It's the principle of the thing." p

Hermione buried her head in her arms and started to cry gently. p

"Girls," Harry muttered, giving his attention back to his So Now You Want to Test the Extent of Your Magical Powers homework. p

It had been two weeks since Ginny had "come back", and Ron still refused to talk to Hermione. He wasn't to friendly with Harry either. Ginny wasn't upset at all, but Harry had a suspicion that was because Hermione told her the whole story. Not even Ron knew what really happened. The Griffindors had been told that Hermione had meant it as a joke and didn't think she'd really be able to perform the curse. Harry was glad that the school was in the dark a bit. So they knew he and Hermione could perform magic without wands -- he could deal with that. But having everyone know they were "gifted" and telepathic was another thing. p

"I mean it's not like I didn't try to explain it to him! Fred and George don't hate us!" Hermione regained her temper. p

"Fred and George have problems," Harry stated, chewing the on the tip of his eagle feather quill. p

"Well, if he's not going to talk to me -- ." p

"He won't." p

"-- then I won't talk to him." ,P

"You do that Herm," Harry mumbled, flipping through his "Magical Powers" textbook, pounding his fist on the table in frustration a couple of times. p

Hermione sniffed, then pulled her watch from her bag, "WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" p

"For what?" Harry asked, jamming things into his bookbag. p

"For So Now You Want -- for Magical Powers." p

"Oh, just a sec," Harry grabbed his things and they ran for the portrait hole. p

With their schedules changed all their breaks were different from the other Griffindors, and they had been alone in the common room. Their Magical Powers class was them, four Ravenclaws, and one Slytherin. p

  
  


"Sorry, we're late, Professor Lupin," Hermione gasped, barging into the room. p

She quickly slammed the door, but didn't remember what she'd forgotten until a muffled voice on the other side of the door said, "Uh . . .Herm." p

"Oh, Harry!" she grabbed the door handle and swung open the door, "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry, Professor Lupin, for disturbing your class. Harry, I'm sorry for -- ." p

"It's alright, Hermione," Lupin said, smiling, "We hadn't even started yet." p

Harry and Hermione took their usual seats next to the windows. p

'Did you complete your homework?' Hermione asked, shuffling through her notes. p

'No, I was too busy listening to your wailing about how one of your loves, Ronald, hates you.' i

'Not funny.' i

'I thought it was.' i

'You've got a twisted mind.' i

'Hmph. I do! What about you Mrs. BLACK!' i

'What are you talking about!' i

'I listened in on the love letter you thought about writing in your diary.' i

'Harry -- .' i

"Potter." p

"Huh," Harry looked away from the window, "Oh, present." p

"Okay, class," Lupin strolled around the room, "Today we will be testing each of you for the Marx, which is the ability to travel into the future with no amulets. The Marx also covers a few other "specialties" . . . ." p

People were screaming and running from the stadium, which burst in green flames in a few seconds. It was mayhem. Death Eaters swarmed the area, and flicked their wands about, killing every living thing in sight. Men fell to the ground defeated and women threw themselves at the mercy of the dementors, who were fast approaching the burning sight. Giants could be seen in the background, coming down from the hills. And a menacing laugh, all too familiar to Harry, could be heard. p

'Let's get out of here.' i

'Got it.' i

'How?' i

'I. . .I -- .' i

"HERMIONE!" p

Harry stood in the midst of the pandemonium, and sunk down to Hermione's side. She had crashed to her knees, green light glowing around her fingertips. She wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. p

"Herm, wake up! Wake up!" Harry shrieked, slapping her face, gently. p

"Huh? Harry? Where are we?" Hermione pushed herself from the floor. p

"We're in Magical Powers. We just used the Marx to go into the future and you . . .well, you collapsed. I got us back, by. . .by. . ." p

'Using Good magic?' i

"Yeah, well, anyway, it's all right now. Do you remember anything -- nevermind. You wouldn't want to remember any of it. Professor Lupin?" p

Harry addressed Lupin. p

"Yes?" Lupin smiled, proudly. None of the other students had been powerful enough to go into the future yet. p

"Are you positive that's what's going to happen in the future?" Harry asked, timidly. p

"If you used the Marx correctly, then, yes. Why? What happened?" p

"I'd rather not say," Harry pushed his glasses up his nose as he spoke, "Hermione, maybe we should be going. I think we were away for a good bit. The rest of the class left a while ago." p

"Right, you two need to be going," Lupin interjected. p

Hermione situated her books and followed Harry into the hallway. p

'Come to the Dust room.' He thought to her, and then disapparated. p

  
  


The Dust room wasn't really a room of dust, but resembled the Milky Way galaxy with bits of star dust floating around. The dust was like glitter, and stuck to your skin. It would have been quite annoying, had the dust not had the power of relaxation. Harry had two arm chairs conjured when Hermione arrived. They glided in midair in silence for a few moments before Harry resumed his reason for coming to this strange room in the middle of the day, when they should have been in classes with the other students. Their Fighting the Dark Side teacher, Professor Wolbourne, didn't look favorably on unpunctual students. p

"Hermione, do you remember anything that happened, really? I know back there with Lupin I changed the subject, but do you?" p

Hermione twirled her bushy locks around on the tip of her finger. Harry could tell she was thinking. He could tell what she was thinking, without reading her mind. He just -- knew her. She remembered very little, but did recall a few details. p

"All I remember are Death Eaters and . . .and fire and somebody laughing," Hermione shielding her eyes from the light of a newborn nova somewhere near the corner of the room. p

Harry smiled at Hermione. She didn't have any idea what was coming in the future, and he wasn't going to worry her with it -- but he forgot one detail when he came up with this plan. p

"Harry Potter, I know what you're thinking. And know I know what you saw. You replay stuff very vividly in your head, you know." p

"All right, no longer are you allowed inside my head, Miss Granger!" Harry collected a clump of star dust and blew it Hermione's way. It landed in her hair, making streaks of glitter, and having absolutely no effect of relaxation. She waved her hand and cords tied Harry to the chair. p

"Now, Mr. Potter, you must pay for that pathetic attempt." p

Harry got rid of the cords and attacked Hermione with a pillow he conjured. Hermione made one appear as well, and as they pounded each other, feathers mixed with star dust. The two fought with the pillows for quite some time while hovering above the floor. Missions, Voldemort, and Death Eaters were forgotten. At one point, they stopped to catch their breath. Staring each other in the face, cheeks red, panting and out of breath, they leaned closer and closer. . . . p

  
  


(A/N: Well, I expect reviews and lots of them. I love cliffhangers -- not when I'm reading them, but when I'm writing them. The more reviews I get the quicker more appears! Coming up: more missions (I know it seems like there should have been more earlier, but this is just a lot of info about a few days toward the end, so don't expect if to move too fast.), um. . Harry and Hermione shippers. . .I don't know what to tell you. Guess you'll have to read! ( I encourage other shippers to continue though -- who knows!), more Ron -- we'll find out why he's really mad at Herm, and we'll see what's going on with the once-dead Ginny Weasley. Did somebody say quidditch because I think we need some! And definitely a few love predictions, plagues, interesting classes, etc. Keep Reading!!!) p


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: As of the end of chapter three - they leaned closer and closer..... -- continue please! Oh, and read and review! 

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K Rowling.

  
  


  
  


Harry was now close enough to. . .to. . .force Hermione into a headlock. Her neck was pinned to his side as he playfully threatened to catch her hair on fire. p

"No, Harry!" she squealed. p

"Worth a try," Harry muttered, releasing Hermione from his grip. p

  
  


"They use that. . .that different magic all the time now," Ron rested his forehead against the owlery wall. p

Ginny slumped to the floor, "I wish you'd talk to Hermione. It was an accident what happened. Really, it was." p

"It's not just an accident when people perform Avada Kedavra!" Ron snapped. p

"Look, Ron, she explained it all to me. How she and Harry were fighting, and she threatened him jokingly. When she thought of the curse it came. It just happened. It's hard to explain." P

Ron was still doubtful, but decided to try harder at being nice to the two. Pushing them away from him would just make them closer -- something he did not want. p

"Tell me one thing, Ginny. Does Hermione like Harry?" Ron whispered, looking intently into his sister's eyes. p

"If she did, I wouldn't tell you. That's her business. . . ." p (A/n: hint hint)

"Yeah, whatever," Ron mumbled, tracing his thumb along the dusty wall. p

  
  


"We have another mission tonight," Harry announced in a subdued voice as he took a seat next to Hermione in the library. p

Hermione didn't seem very interested by the news. She just nodded her head and returned to her reading. p

"We're supposed to go to some Death Eater meeting and sit in -- invisible, of course." p

Hermione was still engrossed in her book. p

"What are you reading that's so much more interesting than Death Eaters?" Harry asked, trying to get a peek at the cover. p

Hermione conveniently had her left hand hiding the title. Harry thought about reading her mind, but chose not to pursue the subject. p

"We also have the afternoon off to rest up or whatever. . ." p

Hermione finally looked up from her book. She gave Harry a searching look, then dashed out of the library muttering to herself. p

  
  


"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Lupin entered Dumbledore's office to find the old wizard sitting behind his desk. p

"Yes, Remus, please take a seat," Dumbledore gestured to a chair on the other side of the room. p

Lupin looked curiously at the headmaster, then did as we was told and walked the room's length to take a seat in a very uncomfortable chair against the far wall. Dumbledore stood up and walked over to Lupin, his wand pointing to something sitting on his desk. It was the mirror that they had looked in to see what Harry and Hermione had been doing at the Malfoys' that day. Dumbledore mumbled an incantation and the mirror began to shake and jerk. Soon everything within a five foot radius of it shot away from it like a catapult and landed with thuds at the place where Lupin would normally have been sitting. p

"Thanks for confusing me and making me sit over here," Lupin smiled at Dumbledore as the man, with a swish of his wand, put everything back in it's normal place. p

"Anytime," Dumbldore returned the smile, "Now that the spell has been performed we'll be able to see how they do tonight. I made the mirror show invisible people. That way they'll show up on this while they "sit-in" on Voldemort's little meeting. p

"Is Severus going?" Lupin shook his head at the thought of calling his enemy by his first name, but had been asked to by Dumbledore. p

"No. It's getting too dangerous for him to go. Voldemort's gaining power and Severus is a bit vulnerable right now. I wouldn't want him to swap his loyalties again." p

"Of course." p

"That's why Harry and Hermione must go." p

"Couldn't I go and wear the cloak. That's all they've got to do. Their abilities aren't required tonight." p

"They may come to be required," Dumbledore replied, "You never know." p

"True. Anyway, you wanted to see me about something?" Lupin prompted Dumbledore. p

"Hermione came to me with a question early this morning," Dumbledore stated. p

"And it was?" p

"'Why did Voldemort want to kill Harry?'" p

"Oo, you can't even tell Harry that. What did you say to her?" p

"I told her why." p

"Excuse me?" p

"I told her why. She asked me a question and I gave her the answer." p

"But - but, Harry doesn't even know. I don't even know!" p

"And neither one of you will be finding out any time soon -- if all goes well." p

"Then how come you can tell Hermione?" p

Dumbledore sighed, and took a seat close to Lupin. p

"Hermione is a part of Harry's fate. She was meant to know this, and help him deal with it -- even though he doesn't know what's wrong." p

"Wait. Something's wrong with Harry? What's Voldemort doing to him?" p

"That is between Miss Granger, Voldemort, and myself." p

  
  


'Hermione! Where are you? I've been searching the castle half the afternoon. We've got to get ready for tonight. And Ron wants to talk to you. I think he's going to apologize.' Harry thought to the girl who would hopefully respond. p

'Harry, I'm busy.' i

'Doing what!' i

'Nothing of your concern.' i

'I can read your mind you know. All I have to do is sneak in there at the right time.' i

'Harry -- don't! I'll try my hand at the Avada Kedavra curse again if you even think about it!' i

'Alright....alright. But hurry will you?' i

'I'll try.' i

Harry, who had been searching the North Tower, headed back down the stairs and sought out the Griffindor common room. Once he'd reached it he found Hermione and Ron talking in a far corner by the fireplace. p

"Hey," he said, approaching them. p

Ron looked angry and stormed off through the portrait hole when Harry came up. p

"What was that all about?" p

Hermione had a blank look on her face. Harry noticed she was still holding the mysterious book (the title still covered). p

"Ron just asked me out." p

  
  


(A/N: If I thought chapter two was short - this one is REALLY short, but I just had to put it up. I got too many reviews demanding to know what happened b/w Harry and Hermione -- sorry about that by the way, but give it time, give it time....not saying anything else :) Watch for the next chapter soon - who knows! I might post it tomorrow or tonight. Okay, if I don't stop my author's not is going to be the length of this chapter. Please review! -- 368writer)


	4. Chapter Four

(A/N: Here's chapter 4! It's longer than three, but not incredibly long. But if you're an H/H shipper you'll probably like this one. But that's my opinion. Anyway - read and review!)

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 4 - The Accomplices

  
  
  
  
  
  


Hermione stared up at her bed canopy. She tried to imagine sinking into the deep red velvet and forgetting about everything that was on her mind. Ron had asked her out. She hadn't known what to do so she had said 'No.' rather bluntly. Ron assumed it was because of Harry and left when Harry came in. Ron had told Hermione that he was upset with her over Ginny (once alive again) because he had thought that she and Harry had meant it as a big joke in their 'plot against Ronald Weasley'. Hermione explained what really happened (matching Ginny's story), then Ron had asked her out. p

Hermione sighed. This brought her thought process back to where she started. p

'Herm?' i

Harry was thinking to her. She wanted to talk to him, to cry and let him dumbly reassure her and pat her on the head because he didn't know what else to do. He was her best friend and accomplice and she didn't understand how Ron could think that she and Harry were 'together'. It was stupid. p

'Herm? Do you expect me to leave a message or something?' i

She didn't know what to say, so she directed her first thought to him, 'Leave a message at the beep. Beep.' p

'Witty. Look, Hermione, we're supposed to be in Dumbledore's office in -- twenty minutes so get moving. Meet you there.' i

She couldn't feel his presence anymore so she guessed he was trying to steer clear of her that evening. When she had told him that Ron had asked her out he looked like he was about to congratulate her, but then he must have sensed that she was really upset about this. He probably would have read her mind and then it'd all be a lot easier for her because he'd know and she wouldn't have to debate on whether to tell him or not, if they hadn't agreed to only communicate that way when it was necessary. (That and since the Mrs. Black thing Hermione had been ticked when Harry interrupted her thoughts.) p

Finally, what he'd actually said entered Hermione's thoughts. She had to be ready to go in -- eighteen minutes! Hermione jumped up from her bed and started to dash across the room to her wardrobe closet when she laid eyes on the thing she'd been consumed in all day until the 'Ron thing' happened. The book. p

  
  


  
  


Harry paced in front of Dumbledore's desk. p

"She'll be here in a moment I'm sure, Harry," Lupin smiled. p

Harry grunted a reply and continued to try and communicate with Hermione. About five minutes after she was asked to be there, Hermione apparated into the room. p

"Good, now both of the uh...second generation marauders are here!" Lupin clapped his hands together, a glint in his coal-colored eyes. p

With Hermione there, Harry was in better spirits and laughed at the expression Hermione gave Lupin for his enthusiasm. p

"You two know what to do tonight?" Lupin asked. p

They shook their heads. p

"Okay, I know we said that you'd be sitting in on a Death Eater meeting, but something's changed so our plans have now. We thought we knew where Voldemort had been hiding and where the meeting would take place, but he's moved or something because Professor Snape tried to access it earlier today and the place had disappeared. So tonight your job is to find where Voldemort's hiding at the present time. Professor Snape has been cut off from contact with all Death Eaters - won't go into any details - and he doesn't know where it's located either." p

"How do we do that, professor?" Hermione asked, exchanging doubtful looks with Harry. p

"Follow Death Eaters, pick up clues - use your magical abilities and your minds. In other words, I don't know. That's your job. Now, you best be going." p

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Harry reminded himself to ask. p

"Oh, he's out somewhere. Now go!" P

  
  
  
  
  
  


Knockturn Alley was cold and dark that night and Harry pulled his robes tightly around him. Hermione was shivering beside him, and her teeth were chattering. p

"You act like you're about to freeze to death," he commented. p

"I-I....a-am," Hermione managed to spit out. p

"Well, we're almost there." p

They were heading for the stone gargoyle fountain at the end of the alley, far from the entrance to Diagon. Harry was convinced that it was a passageway of some kind that the Death Eaters used after he heard two men in Death Eater masks remind each other to 'go to the gargoyle' at midnight. Hermione was a bit wary of the idea, but they didn't have any other leads, so she agreed to follow Harry on his whim. p

"Ha-rr-y, I....a-am...re-eally....c-c-cold," Hermione spat. p

Harry took a look at Hermione, "You are looking kind of blue or something." p

They walked a few more paces, then Hermione felt a bundle of cloth hit her shoulder and hang there. It startled her, but she contained her scream and looked around at her shoulder. Harry's cloak. She wrapped it around herself. p

"You owe me," he muttered, grasping his Hogwarts's robe and not allowing any chilly air to travel up the sleeves. p

"Thanks," she whispered, watching her breath evaporate in front of her. p

The fountain was about four yards away. Harry bolted up to it and grabbed the tip of the gargoyle's wing. p

"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, leaning against the fountain. p

"Seeing if it'll do anything at my touch. It's not working. I guess it's time to pull out the Good magic." p

He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face in concentration. Soon the fountain was bathed in a green glow and Harry and Hermione were jerked from the alley and thrown into a different place completely. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Harry?" Ron peeked around the dormitory door. Harry was nowhere to be found. p

After he had left the common room when Harry had come in, and after he'd reflected on how stupid he was to ask Hermione to go out with him when he was the one that had been calling her a 'murderer' and refusing to talk to her and Harry, he had decided to discuss what had been going on with Harry. Surely, Harry would understand that he sometimes hated Hermione and sometimes loved her, and that he had been toying with the idea of going out with her since second year. Or maybe Harry wouldn't understand, but Ron was going to give it a try. p

But, back to the problem, Harry wasn't in the dormitory. He wasn't in the common room. Hermione was gone again, too. Ron had never felt so left out. As he scanned the room one last time -- just in case, he had a flashback. Harry's feet there one moment then gone the next. It dawned on Ron that they could apparate. He didn't know how, but they had been apparating elsewhere and were probably having a butterbeer in Hogsmeade or something right now. p

Ron was infuriated. He couldn't compete with this. He couldn't handle this. He strided over to his bedpost and started kicking. He ignored it when Seamus and Neville entered the room and asked him what was wrong. He just felt like kicking something, so he kicked the bedpost again and again and again. p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"There's no way," Harry whispered. He wanted to faint. He needed to faint. p

"Harry, are you okay? Harry?" Hermione caught Harry as he weakly slipped out of consciousness. p

  
  
  
  


"That's where the gargoyle took us, and that's why Harry fainted. He's going to be all right, isn't he?" Hermione said, very quickly. p

"Yes, he'll be fine. Why don't you go in and talk to him, Miss Granger?" McGonagall assured Hermione. p

"Okay," Hermione breathed, moving to open the infirmary door. p

She entered the room to find Harry sitting up in bed, using Good magic to make miniature quidditch players play the game before him. The seeker looked a bit like Harry and kept catching the snitch before the chasers got a chance to score. Harry looked up and when he saw Hermione come in he flicked his hand and the quidditch game disappeared. p

"How are you doing?" Hermione sat on the edge of his bed. p

"I'm okay. I feel kind of bad about fainting back there. We didn't get to go on the rest of the mission and discover Voldemort's hide out." p

"Dumbledore told me that it was all right, and it was probably something too dangerous for our second mission. We're supposed to search some ministry worker's office next week for evidence that he's a Death Eater. That doesn't sound too bad." p

"No," Harry fidgeted with the bed sheet. p

"Harry, about what happened at -- Godric's Hollow -- ." p

"Herm, you don't have to cheer me up. I'm fine, really. It's just I'd never been there....nevermind. Look, I tell you what. We haven't pulled a prank in a good while -- ." p

"It's only the second month of school." p

"So? It's been at least a month since we nearly killed Malfoy in that whirlpool incident." p

Hermione laughed, "I still have the picture." p

"And you need to keep it. Anyway, I think that we could put our brains together and come up with something quite wicked," Harry grinned. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


Neville and Seamus held Ron tight to the floor. He had been kicking the bedpost for fifteen minutes when they finally found the strength to pin him down. He was just beginning to calm down when Harry came into the room, having been relieved of his hospital sentence. Ron made a wild lurch for Harry and almost got out from Seamus and Neville's combined hold. p

"Ron? What's wrong?" Harry backed into his bedpost when he saw the anger on Ron's face. p

"You can apparate!" Ron screamed, jerking madly on the floor. p

"What?" Harry tried to act as if he had no clue what Ron was talking about. He didn't know what had gotten into his former best friend lately. p

"You and Hermione know how to apparate and you're always leaving the grounds!" p

Neville and Seamus stopped struggling to keep Ron on the floor and looked up intently at Harry. p

"Ron, I don't know what you're talking about," Harry replied, hoping Ron wouldn't be able to tell he was lying. Ron already knew about Good magic; Ron already knew about the ability to read each other's minds; Ron already knew about their ability to sense the other's feelings -- Ron would not be allowed to know they could apparate. Not if he was going to hate them, anyway. p

"Yes, you do! You disappeared last month! I thought I was seeing things, but you apparated! Didn't you?" p

Even though no longer pinned to the floor, Ron remained in his position on top of the stone tiles. Ron was really upset about this, Harry could tell. It was then that Harry came up with one of his more "brilliant" ideas. p

First, he paused time. p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Harry, do really think this is going to work?" Hermione asked, kneeling down beside the motionless Ron. p

Harry had called for Hermione's assistance once he saw that the other boys were frozen in time. He had had the idea that if they could use Good magic to make Ron forget about his grudge with them and forget about asking Hermione out and forget about their strange abilities, that everything might get back to normal. p

"I'm positive. It'll be a cinch. We don't even have to unfreeze him to do it. All we've got to do is think about what he want to do and it happens." p

Hermione had to admit that it might solve quite a few problems they'd had to deal with lately. Especially pertaining to Ron. p.

"Oh, all right!" Hermione sighed. p

Harry kneeled on the other side of Ron and extended his hand for Hermione to take. Hermione grasped his warm hand, and they concentrated on what they wanted done. Then they heard the unknown spells in their heads, felt the warm glowing light around them, acknowledged the sense of power, and then somehow knew that it was all over and that Ron would be back to normal. p

Hermione looked up at Harry, "This is too easy." p

"I know," Harry replied, "There's got to be a catch somewhere." p

Hermione shrugged the thought away and informed Harry to wait until she was safely back in her dorm room until he unpaused time. She left and Harry gave her a few minutes to get settled then brought time back to the world. p

"Harry? What am I doing on the floor?" Ron inquired, scanning the room for any clues to his sudden lying position. p

"You fell and Neville and Seamus here tried to catch you. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" p

Harry had modified Neville and Seamus's memories before Hermione arrived and they were confused like Ron, but didn't say anything. p

"Oh," Ron mumbled, hoisting himself off the floor, "Well, I better hit that Transfiguration book -- trust me, Harry, you should be glad that you don't have to take that class anymore. Why are you taking those harder ones, again?" Ron finished on a confused note. p

Harry clapped him on the shoulder, "I'll explain later, Ron." p

And the two left a baffled Neville and a shocked Seamus standing in the middle of the dorm room, staring at a bedpost that was chipped, scraped, and appeared to have been kicked several times. p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The next morning, Hermione awoke in mid-stretch and jumped from bed. She was exceptionally happy this morning for some reason and decided to get ready quickly so she could read some more on her book. The book was tucked away carefully in her pillow case and she wanted to finish it so she could return it to Professor Dumbledore. She shook her head, refusing to let herself think of such things until she was at least ready to sit down with the book. p

She stretched one last time and made her way to the bathroom. She was surprised to see Ginny in there so early. p

"You're up early," Hermione commented. p

"Yeah, well, I didn't sleep well last night," Ginny muttered, examining the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror. p

"Hmmm," Hermione didn't know how to respond, so she headed to her cabinet on the wall and pulled out a toothbrush and some toothpaste. p

As Hermione brushed her teeth Ginny stood behind her and stared at Hermione's reflection thoughtfully. It was beginning to annoy Hermione and she turned around to ask Ginny what the problem was. p

"I was just thinking." p

"Aren't we all?" p

"Not Ron." p

Hermione suddenly remembered the night before's events, "Ron's okay now. He talked it out with Harry and me last night. It's all right." p

"Oh," Ginny moved to her cabinet. Hermione stuck the toothbrush back in her mouth. p

Ginny returned to the mirror a moment later, "Do you mind if I ask you a question about what we were talking about the other night?" p

Hermione didn't bother removing the toothbrush this time, "You mean about Har --?" p

"Yeah, him." p

"What?" p

"Do you plan on telling him anytime soon?" p

"'Bout what?" Hermione turned her attention back to the mirror. p

Ginny gave an exasperated sigh, "How can you even forget about what I suggested!" p

Hermione spat out her toothpaste, "Because he's just Harry. He's my best friend and....and...." Hermione wiped the toothpaste and water from her lips then turned to Ginny, "and..." then she rounded on her reflection, inspecting it closely, muttering, "and nothing more." p

She whipped around on her heel and left the room, not even bothering to put her things back in the cabinet. Ginny stood looking at the door way that Hermione had exited through for several seconds, until she noticed that Hermione's toothbrush and toothpaste were zooming back to their respectable cabinet. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


Harry slammed his lunch tray down on the Gryffindor table excitably. Ron was nowhere to be seen, so he beamed at Hermione, who was across the table from him, and said, "I've got an idea for that prank." p

Hermione rolled her eyes, and replied, "You're turning into a Weasley twin." p

Harry acted hurt. Hermione tore off a bit of her roll and flicked it at Harry, "But I want to know what it is!" p

"Well...." p

  
  


(A/N: Not as big of a cliffhanger as the last one, but.....I still kind of left you hanging. Look for chapter five in a few days. Exams are coming up soon and it may take longer between chapters for a week or so, but I'm going to try and put up a new chapter about every day when Christmas hits! If you remember the a/n from the end of chapter two you know what's coming!)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. skipping some stuff and going straight t...

(A/N: Sorry it took soooo long for chapter 5, but now I'm out of school, so hopefully these chapters will start coming more swiftly. Please, read and review. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the other chapters.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing -- J.K Rowling owns it all.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 5 - The Accomplices

  
  


"I can't believe it didn't work," Harry sighed, exasperated, "It didn't work!" p

"Harry," Hermione began, "It's okay. We still had a lot of fun." She lightly punched his shoulder. p

"Yeah," Harry grinned, "Who knew Malfoy slept with a little stuffed Death Eater...." p

Harry and Hermione had just returned from pulling their "prank" on the Slytherins. The plan had been to booby trap their dormitories, so they'd wake up to a battlefield of tricks and traps. They had apparated into the fifth year Slytherin boys' dormitory and were planning to pause time so they could continue with their "dirty deed". Unfortunately, two of the boys weren't asleep, but walking around the room and saw Hermione and Harry apparate into the room. By the time Harry and Hermione had modified their memories, they gave up on the prank idea. ( Not after seeing Malfoy cuddled up with his stuffed Death Eater, however. ) p

Instead they decided to come back to the common room to talk all night. Now that Ron couldn't remember why he had once been mad at them and was friends with them again, Ron was with the two all the time. Normally they would have snuck off to talk about the missions or duel with their fairly new powers, but they felt guilty for all the grief Ron went through as the third wheel and included him as best they could. p

Things still weren't the same though. Harry and Hermione were best friends, not Harry and Ron, and although Harry hoped that Ron didn't see this -- Ron did, but was too noble to say anything. p

Hermione positioned herself at the foot of Harry's chair in front of the fire. She had grown accustomed to this position because Harry and her would often sit like this late into the night contemplating -- well, everything. The training continued, yet there were no missions. Lupin drilled them everyday and they had become experts on how to use the Marx. They had never traveled further forward in time but one year, except the one time Hermione passed out. This was another worry to them. What could that have meant? Was that really the future? p

But tonight they were not in a mood to talk about such world-changing issues. They laughed about Malfoy, gossiped, and criticized Snape. p

"Harry, what do you want for Christmas?" Hermione asked, suddenly. It had been in the back of her mind for weeks -- 'ask Harry what he wants for Christmas' -- but she never got around to it. p

"I don't know," Harry responded. p

'He always says that.' Hermione thought dully to herself. p

"Do I?" Harry said. p

"Harry Potter, you were reading my mind!" Hermione burst. p

"What? I just thought I'd be able to find out what you wanted for Christmas," Harry acted offended. p

Hermione bit her bottom lip, then crawled up in the chair to sit next to Harry. p

"You know what I really want for Christmas?" she asked, while Harry repositioned to make room for Hermione in the chair. p

"What?" p

"Promise you won't laugh?" Hermione glared at Harry. p

"Promise," Harry said, sensing this was very solemn to Hermione. p

"I want...I want..." p

"Yes?" p

"I don't know," Hermione finally sighed. p

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Had me ready to retrieve my pocket book and everything, then 'I don't know'." p

"Sorry, it was stupid," Hermione blushed. p

Harry gripped her shoulders, "What? It's not like you'll be able to keep it from me or anything. We have no secrets...." p

Hermione thought about what Dumbledore told her of Harry's past and why Voldemort wanted him. Harry had no idea what kind of a secret she was keeping from him.... p

"I want...tospendalldayoutinthesnowand...and...." Hermione buried her face into the chair cushions from embarrassment. p

"You want to spend all day out in the snow?" Harry repeated. p

"You think it's stupid -- I knew you would." p

"No, it's not that. I just don't understand why." p

Hermione resigned herself to explaining why she asked for something ridiculous like that, "Every time I start to think about what Christmas will be like this year, I get the same mental picture in my head -- I'm outside. I think with you, that's not what I see though. And I'm learning to fly and I'm dancing in the snow and snowflakes are gently falling into my hair and stuff like that." Hermione looked at Harry expectantly. She couldn't read his face, so she awaited what he had to say. p

"I think that would be a perfect way to spend Christmas," Harry whispered, gently pulling Hermione's head into his shoulder. p

  
  


  
  
  
  


"We're leaving tomorrow," Ginny announced, heaving her trunk onto her bed, "for Christmas." p

Hermione, who was advised by Dumbledore not to leave for Christmas, was leaning against the wall comfortably without the worries of packing and departing. p

"This morning you were about to tell me what happened last night between you and Harry, then he called you to breakfast," Ginny reminded Hermione. p

"Oh, yes," Hermione recalled, "I supposed I could go on about it now. I was more excited when I woke up but...." p

"Well, get on with it then," Ginny pressed, stuffing socks and such into her trunk. p

Hermione giggled, then began her story, "Okay, we had been in the Slytherin dormitories -- about to play a prank on Malfoy -- ." p

"Sounds like something you two would cook up," Ginny interrupted. p

Hermione beamed at this and continued, "It didn't work though (doesn't really matter why), so we came back to the common room to talk -- ." p

"I see where this is going," Ginny grinned, suggestively. p

"Ginny!" p

"What!" p

"Let me finish!" p

"Okay, okay, just having a bit of fun, you know." p

"So, we were in the common room and I was sitting at the foot of his chair and I asked what he wanted for Christmas -- ." p

"What'd he say," Ginny asked with genuine curiosity. p

"I'm getting there! And he said 'I don't know' -- ." p

"Typical." p

"And he had his bit of fun reading my mind and all and we mocked each other...finally, he got around to asking me what I want for Christmas -- ." p

"I think you told me. Wasn't that your daydream thing where you and Harry are outside and you're learning to fly and such?" Ginny crammed books into her trunk now. p

"Yes, yes, but I didn't really want to tell him because I was embarrassed -- ." p

"Naturally." Hermione glared for a second at Ginny who was giggling. p

"Anyway, so he finally convinced me to tell him and once I got it out and explained why I wanted that strange thing --." p

"It's not strange, it's sweet." p

"True, but guys don't think like that -- ." p

"How would you know?" p

"I've been inside a guy's head a few times before." p

"Oh, right, forgot you've got that advantage." p

"So, when I got done explaining, he said, 'I think that would be a perfect way to spend Christmas.' -- ." p

"How come you get Harry? He's so sweet!" p

"I don't 'have' Harry -- he's mine friend. My accomplice, if you will, but yes, he is kind of sweet." p

"Whatever, and..." Ginny slammed her trunk shut. p

"And he pulled my head into his shoulder." p

Ginny gave Hermione a knowing grin and a little squeal. p

"So, what do you do now?" Ginny asked. p

"Nothing." p

"Nothing? I think he likes you!" p

"Oh, Ginny, please! It's not like that -- for either of us. I just thought it was cute and friendly. I really like having Harry as my best friend -- ." p

"Very friendly," Ginny observed. p

"Come now!" p

"Fine," Ginny sighed, lugging her trunk to the door and pulling Hermione's Christmas gift from the pocket of her robes, "Take this. Don't open it just yet. You can tell me what you think when I get back." p

"Okay," Hermione agreed, "Is it all right if I open it in front of Harry? I think I'll wait until Christmas morning." p

"Uh...sure, I guess. It's nothing much." p

Hermione hugged Ginny good bye and walked her to the foot of the spiral staircase where Ron was waiting impatiently. Hermione hugged Ron bye too. Harry was no where to be seen, so when Ron and Ginny left, Hermione headed back to her dormitory to read her book that had kept her engrossed for so long. p

  
  
  
  


There were only two other Gryffindors at the castle that year -- two first years who kept each other occupied most of the time. So Hermione considered the tower pretty much empty except for her and Harry which reminded her of the summer. The second day of break, after everyone else had just left, Harry came in from flying his broomstick. Hermione would never understand why he practiced so much. They had had two quidditch games already that year and Harry had caught the Snitch within the first twenty minutes of both of them. p

"What time is it?" Harry asked, plopping into his usual chair in front of the fire. p

"Uh...nine a.m.," Hermione answered somewhat pompously. p

"Do you want to go get some hot chocolate from the house elves or something?" Harry inquired, taking leave of his beloved chair in front of the fire. p

Hermione looked disapprovingly at the mention of house elves, but agreed and they were off to the kitchens. When they arrived, Harry asked for Dobby or Winky, but as it turned out, they had both taken off for Christmas. So, Harry begged (although it didn't take much begging) for hot chocolate, and the house elves complied, saying they'd send it up to Gryffindor tower in a few moments. On their way back, Harry sensed that Hermione was deep in thought over something -- something she couldn't tell him. In a way, her attitude hurt him, but she didn't exactly seem happy with it either, so he supposed it would only be right to comfort her.... p

Hermione allowed her head to droop and watch how her robes swished against her shoes as she walked. She couldn't stand the thought of keeping something from Harry, but there was no way he could ever know why Voldemort wanted him dead -- until it was time, of course. She didn't know what to think or do anymore, so she just stared at her shoes dully. Not taking keen interest in anything Harry said, not alert, just depressed. Then in much the same fashion as Harry's cloak was thrown at her shoulder, Harry's arm wrapped around Hermione's mid-back. With Good magic, Hermione could sense that Harry knew she had a secret. Harry knew and he wasn't bothering to pry. He understood her. p

They had reached the portrait hole. Harry's arm dropped from the place Hermione found it comfortable. Before giving the password to the Fat Lady, Harry turned Hermione around to face him. He didn't say anything but smiled in a reassuring way at Hermione. Hermione smiled back. Harry patted her shoulder, then disappeared through the portrait hole. Hermione stood there for a moment, watching his retreating back make its way to Harry's chair in front of the fire.

Harry was there for her, whatever the circumstances. They in were in this together now. (A/N: I don't really like this line because it's been done a million times, but....) p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The light of Christmas morning passed through the thin curtains surrounding Hermione's four-poster. She almost immediately awoke and raced to the window, knocking a few of her packages onto the floor in her hassle out of bed. The grounds were covered in white, glistening snow a foot deep. It was perfect. She remembered to stretch then hurried to retrieve her packages and check to see if Harry was awake. p

Dumping her gifts outside the boys' dormitory door, she peeped inside. Harry's curtains weren't drawn and she could see that he was still sleeping. Hermione almost laughed at the "angelic-looking" boy in the candy striped pajamas who had evidently been tossing and turning all night because he was tangled in the bed sheets. Hermione tiptoed to the edge of his bed and after several vain attempts to wake him by pulling back his eyelids, she finally used Good magic to create loud, booming sounds of thunder, waking Harry with a start. p

"What-what's that!" he screeched, groping for his glasses on the table. p

Once he could see properly, he reached down into his pajama shirt and produced his wand. p

"Harry! It's just me!" Hermione laughed, tugging at his pajama sleeve so he'd look down at her. p

"Oh, Merry Christmas, Herm," Harry grinned, sheepishly. p

Hermione contemplated for a minute on the fact that Harry felt it necessary to stash his wand down his shirt when sleeping. She began to wonder if he was frightened when sleeping.... p

"Herm?" p

"Sorry, Harry, Merry Christmas! Let's open presents!" p

Harry laughed at her enthusiasm, "Do I need to come down to the common room?" p

"Nah," Hermione replied, going for the presents outside the door, "I disturbed your beauty sleep, so I'll let you stay in here." p

Hermione tossed them on Ron's bed and dived in. Before opening her first one though, a sudden thought came to her, "Let's open each other's last." p

"'kay," Harry agreed, eagerly ripping back the paper off Sirius's present, "Wow, a book about quidditch tactics!" p

Hermione shook her head at how excited boys could get over some sport. They continued opening their gifts and they both received the usual: Harry, sweaters and quidditch stuff; Hermione, books and quills. Then she reached Ginny's gift. Hermione had a strange feeling about this one, and she ripped the paper back nervously. It was a trinket for Hermione's rarely worn charm bracelet. A little quidditch player on a broomstick. The player looked a bit like Harry, and it waved enthusiastically at her. She smiled warmly, stealing a glance at the seeker a few feet from her. He was fighting his bed sheets trying to untangle his left foot. Hermione couldn't help it -- she burst into laughter. p

"What?" Harry asked attempting to kick the sheet off his foot. p

"Nothing." p.

"Nothing, my foot," Harry retorted. p

This unintended pun made Hermione go into hysterics, falling back on Ron's bed, clutching the stitch in her side. A 'Vernon Dursley sock' was thrown at her, then Harry's pillow. She regained composure, sitting back up calmly. p

"I'm not that funny," Harry muttered, fingering Hermione's gift to him. p

"Let's open ours now," Hermione suggested, digging through the mounds of wrapping paper until she found a package labeled: To-Hermione, From-Harry. p

As she worked on unwrapping hers, Harry lifted the lid to the little box his came in. p

"Hermione," he breathed, "where, no -- how?" p

Hermione looked up from the stubborn wrappings on her gift. She smiled at the look of disbelief on Harry's face, "Thought you might like that." p

Harry held the wristband in the palm of his hand. He knew, however, that this wristband wasn't ordinary. It allowed the wearer to talk to anyone of their choice at anytime...even if they were dead. His parents. He snapped it on his wrist and leapt off his bed, dashing over to Hermione and pulling her into a hug. Harry buried his face into the groove at the side of her neck, and Hermione could feel Harry's wet cheeks against her neck. After a while, Harry dried his eyes on his sleeve and returned to sit on his bed. p

Hermione hurried back over to her gift, finally managing to tear off the paper in one quick sweep of her hand. Her's too was in a little box which she opened slowly. Inside was a single slip of gold paper that read - Look over at me. Hermione followed the instruction. Harry was holding two robes, two sweaters, two cloaks, and two pairs of shoes. p

"If we get cold while we're outside ALL DAY, I'll magic up a fire or something. Don't bother changing, just slide those over your pajamas," Harry tossed one of everything to Hermione and slid his own sweater over his pajama shirt, "Merry Christmas, Herm." p

  
  


(A/N: The next chapter is devoted to their day out in the snow -- because I'm in the mood to write sappy sort of stuff right now. In chapter seven there will be more action than the last few chapters. I'm trying to think up a good mission for them. Any suggestions? Again, please review!) p


	6. Chapter Six

(A/n: Okay, this chapter is kind of short, but very important! It'll explain a lot of things. Chapter seven will be up soon. Sorry this chapter took so long. Enjoy! Read and review!) p

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 6 - The Accomplices

  
  


Harry flew past the stone gargoyle on the ledge of a fourth floor window. He and Hermione had been outside for two hours, and she was resting by the lake while he took a ride on his Firebolt. The first hour they dueled using Good magic and the second hour they had thrown each other in the cold lake numerous times. It was a good thing that Hermione knew a charm to dry them off quickly, Harry thought. He could see her stretched out in the snow by the lake, flakes falling in her hair, and he laughed to himself at what she wanted for Christmas. Only Herm. p

Hermione watched Harry as he soared over Hogwarts castle. He was very good at flying. She had taken this mental note several times in the past four and half years, but she never told him how good he was. She hoped that she didn't have to. p

Harry decided to go back down and talk to Hermione. He went into a dive over the lake and drew his broom up two inches from the water. Once he had completely landed he jogged over to Hermione. p

"I'm done flying," he announced, "What do you want to do now?" p

Hermione bit her lip. She had been turning something over in her mind for the past few minutes, "Let's go into the Forbidden Forest." p

  
  
  
  
  
  


"I can't believe you dragged me in here," Harry mumbled, kicking a rock with his foot. p 

He and Hermione had been walking through the forest for half an hour. p

"Why did you want to come in here anyway?" he asked, tugging on Hermione's sleeve, trying to get her attention. She was looking up and down the path intently. p

"Harry," she whipped around to face Harry, "There's something you need to know. And I'm sorry you've got to find this out on Christmas, but....Dumbledore told me why Voldemort wants to kill you, and...and...." p

Harry interrupted her, "You know? He told you? Why didn't he tell me? Why are you telling me now like this? I...I -- ." p

"Harry, listen to me. Dumbledore must not know that you know. The only reason that I wanted to go this deep into the forest was so that he couldn't sense I was telling you. Dumbledore has powers like that, you know. We had to get far away from the castle. This is partly why I told you I wanted this for Christmas. I couldn't let on the tiniest bit until we were off the grounds." p

"So Dumbledore doesn't want me to know?" Harry asked, processing this in his mind. p

"No, and there's a good reason as to why he told me." p

"Does Lupin know?" p

Hermione shook her head. I think that it would be good for Lupin to know, but I have no authority in telling him." p

"Well, why does Voldemort want to kill me?" Harry pressed, looking nervously over his shoulder, making sure no one was near. p

"Okay, I'm positive on some of this and I'm almost sure on the rest," Hermione explained before telling Harry the reason, putting him (A/n: and some fanfic readers) in great agony, "Harry, he wants to kill you because you're an...an -- Acceptor." p

This didn't quite have the effect Hermione had hoped for. Harry stared blankly at her for a moment then asked, "What's that?" p

Hermione sighed in agitation and started explain, "It means that you can pull magical power from anyone -- including Voldemort. I'm kind of an Acceptor. I can only pull magic from you though, and only when you comply. That's what happened that day with Mrs. Figg. I pulled power from you, but this isn't about me. Um...Harry, there's only been one other Acceptor in history and that was your father. Dumbledore came up with the name. Now, we don't know how your father attained this ability. We're thinking maybe it was a freak accident when some spells when crossed or whatever. Your dad wasn't fully aware he could do this though. Dumbledore noticed it a couple of days before your parents were killed, but didn't want to let your dad know that strange things were happening to him because he could pull power from even the greatest wizards. When your father died -- Dumbledore deemed him an 'Acceptor'. It's in one of our textbooks. Dumbledore wrote a note in about it under the index for 'strange wizard powers'." p

Harry gaped at Hermione for a minute before she continued. p

"I've been reading that book, and I think you're more than an Acceptor. That's the part I'm not sure about." p.

"If my dad could pull power from wizards, then how was Voldemort able to kill him?" p

Hermione furrowed her brow, "Your dad didn't know he could do it. He was off his guard. I'm guessing that he would have eventually started pulling Voldemort's powers-- unaware of what he was doing-- during their duel, but Voldemort hit him with the killing curse too soon." p

Harry turned this over in his mind still in shock. p

"And your being an Acceptor is partly how you survived. It's true that you lived because of your mother's sacrifice, but Voldemort was reduced to a mere spirit because, well, I think because you pulled enough of his powers from him. And last year when he took your blood and made that potion or whatever he regained some more of his power. But you didn't lose it," Hermione looked like she didn't want to say the next part, "You and Voldemort now share powers. It's hard to explain and I'm not really sure how you share powers, but that's what I think. But you and Voldemort have actually had a connection since you were one. That's why you have those dreams." p

Harry stared. p

"We can do Good magic because we're Acceptors, but just like I can only take power from you, I can only perform it with your help. You can do it anytime," Hermione looked a bit put out with this, "Dumbledore told me that I'm part of your fate, but he didn't specify how. I think that he believes I'm part of your fate because I can do Good magic too, but I think he's wrong. You know I told you that I thought you weren't just an Acceptor?" p

Harry stared. p

"Yeah, well, I think that you're also a Mender or Healer -- kind of like Madam Pomfrey, but-- ." p

"I'm a wizard doctor?" p

"No, you don't heal physical injuries -- you heal souls a such. Like you could "heal" someone from a Dementor's Kiss. And I believe that's why the Dementors tried to give you the Kiss in our third year. They could sense that power. This is why I'm part of your fate. Harry, I know what you're thinking -- I know your soul. Just like I'm the only one that can take power from you, I'm the only one that could ever heal your soul or whatnot. Don't you see this connection?" p

Harry stared. p

"Urgh!" Hermione stomped her foot on the forest floor, "Say something!" p

"Hermione, I don't feel so well all of a sudden. Let's go eat something." p

"Harry, we need to discuss this! What are we going to do! Voldemort's after you because you can defeat him and he's after me because I can help you! He's still very strong, Harry. You're not able to just steal all his power and call it quits. This is going to be a gradual process. Dumbledore was wrong not to tell you. We've got to start training or something as soon as possible! Don't you see that? There's so many more questions that need to be answered."p

"Herm, I'm really hungry." p

Hermione sighed and grabbed Harry's hand to lead him back to the castle. p

'Maybe I shouldn't have told him all this right now.' She thought to herself. p

"I'm glad you did," Harry smiled, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders. p

"You were reading my thoughts again," she said, softly, relieved that Harry finally knew, and she didn't have this secret. p

Suddenly something that Hermione had said earlier entered Harry's thoughts, "You said strange things happened to my father. What strange things are going to happen to me?" p

Hermione gulped, "I'll tell you later." p

  
  


(A/n: Well, how was it? I'm not sure what's going to be in chapter seven, but I'll come up with something.... Thanks for all the reviews. I almost stopped writing this fic, but I had a very persistent reviewer (cough, cough - Kristen) and I just couldn't stop. :) Happy Belated New Year! - writer ) p

  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter 7 - The Accomplices

  
  


PLEASE READ:A/n: Okay, I know it took a long time, but let's look past that, all right? Promy made a great suggestion about chapters 5 and 6 - check reviews- but I haven't changed anything yet. I will probably go back and make chapter 6 flow a bit better, but right now I'm just going to keep writing on the story. I'm going to try and put a little h/h in this chapter and more later in the story. I also want to start getting a very thick plot going, soooo maybe that will work out. Hopefully anyway. I'm writing this chapter by chapter and I'm trying to make it all fit together, but if I have to -- I will go back and change the story to fit your suggestions. Okay, I'm done rambling. On with the Accomplices! Oh, and read and review! :) p

Disclaimer: I own nothing, J.K. Rowling owns it all! Well, except the plot... p

* * *

Harry slept fitfully Christmas night. Actually, he didn't sleep much at all. It had been a very strange Christmas, what with this new revelation Hermione had abruptly called to his attention. He was an Acceptor and a Healer? Harry punched the pillow in. He always had to be different, didn't he? 'Well,' Harry thought 'at least I know why Dumbledore hasn't been assigning missions.' Hermione had explained later that this was due to Harry's ignorance to his powers. Once Dumbledore had seen what had happened at the Malfoy's with Mrs. Figg, his suspicions of Harry receiving his father's unusual trait had been confirmed. Lupin, against Dumbledore's wishes, allowed Harry and Hermione to look for Voldemort's hiding place because he was unaware of what Harry was. And Dumbledore had been somewhat pleased that Harry had fainted at Godric's Hollow because he wasn't forced into a position where his ignorance could have cost him his life. After all, Voldemort knew of Harry's abilities. No, missions weren't a good idea at the moment, Harry concluded after reviewing what Dumbledore must have been thinking. p 

Harry sighed to himself. Something had been worrying him a lot lately. Hermione said that changes and stuff would start happening to him, and he didn't know what they were and Hermione wouldn't tell him. He tried to avert his attention. The clock across the room said that it was three in the morning. Harry estimated that if he started now he could finish reading Quidditch Through the Ages by morning. He magicked a flame into the torch bracket beside his four poster and pulled the book from his bedside cabinet. P

He had been reading for about half an hour when there was a thump outside the dormitory door. Harry stiffened and quickly extinguished the flame. Drawing the curtains around his bed, he slid into a lying position so that his silhouette couldn't be seen by the moonlight coming in through the drapeless windows. The door slowly creaked open and padded feet could be heard on the floor. Harry held his breath as he saw a shadow cross to the side of his bed, holding something that looked dreadfully sharp. Images of all sorts of deadly weapons flew through his mind and beads of perspiration broke on his forehead. A croaky voice broke his train of thought. p

"Harry Potter..." p

Harry prepared to apparate out of the room immediately, when the figure drew back the curtains of his bed in one swift motion, and pulled him up from under the covers with a fairly strong hand. p

"Hermione!" p

Hermione let go of Harry's shirt collar and slumped against the bedside table. She was fully dressed in her robes, and Harry assumed that she had been sleeping on top of one of her books again because the trace of ink had been printed on her cheek. A comb, which Harry thought to be the sharp object, dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor. p

"Oh, good. You're all right," Hermione breathed, perching on top of the table. p

"Of course, I'm all right. What did you think was wrong?" Harry was a bit impatient at the moment, seeing how Hermione had just scared him out of his mind for no apparent reason. p

"I was just doing some research, and I found something that frightened me." p

"What does that have to do with me?" Harry moaned, lighting the torch again. p

"The book is a record that Dumbledore kept of things that happened to Ja-- your dad. It said that on Boxing Day morning James had a horrible dream, and he almost stabbed his cat because he was delusional. I was just going to perform a charm to make you sleep peacefully." p

Harry rolled his eyes and retrieved his quidditch book again, "Herm, just because my dad had a bad dream on Boxing Day morning doesn't mean that I will. If you're going to look for connections try looking at the amount of time between events or something....What's the comb for?" p

Hermione laughed, "Oh, well, I thought that if you were going crazy I could um..well, I don't really know. I guess I'm kind of paranoid and picked up the first object that could cause any harm and went with it." p

"Don't be so paranoid. I mean, whatever's going to happen to me can't be that bad, right?" p

Hermione was silent. p

"Herm...." p

"Oh, fine! I wasn't going to tell you yet, but I don't guess I have much of a choice!" Hermione huffed, pulling her legs up onto the table and turning to face Harry, who was rearranging his pillows in case he felt the need to 'drift off' during Hermione's long speech, which he could tell was coming. p

"Harry, probably in a couple of weeks -- if Dumbledore has judged all this time business correctly when compared to your father -- you will start to have these...um...odd bursts of power. You won't be able to control it and you won't know when it's going to happen. Anything could go wrong. You might bring down Hogwarts! Or you could do something in Snape's class to earn detentions for the rest of your life or something. When this happened to your dad...um...he was playing a Quidditch game and all of a sudden all of the stands disappeared. People were just falling to the ground. Dumbledore managed to catch it and freeze most of the stadium before everyone plunged to their death. Then he modified their memories because it had been obvious that whatever happened came from James. It says in Dumbledore's notes 'It looked like the poor boy had combusted and gone up in flames.' Not even James remembered what happened -- only Dumbledore. One more example I can recall was when your dad and Sirius were out playing a prank. They intended to put an itching charm on all the Slytherin's laundry. It said 'James exerted power again and all the clothes in the laundry room disappeared. James and Sirius fell two floors, and the student and teachers' clothes were strewn over various parts of the castle for weeks. Socks, shirts, and undergarments were constantly being found in the oddest places. Why, Mr. Snape's flannel nightgown was hanging from a chandelier over the Gryffindor table the next morning....' " p

Harry snorted at this part, and even Hermione had to pause to keep a straight face. p

"Okay, so I'm a threat and danger to the school now, am I?" Harry smirked, not as aghast by the news as Hermione believed he would be. p

"Well....yeah. Yes, you are," Hermione sighed, leaning against the frost-covered window.

She closed her eyes for a moment, "But that's not all -- ." p

"Herm, I don't want to know right now," Harry decided, resting his cheek against the feather pillows, "I don't want to know," he yawned and slipped into sleep. p

Hermione silently left the room -- after tucking the sheets around Harry and blowing out the light. p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Ron!" Harry jumped from his chair beside the fire in the common room. p

The Weasley's had just entered the portrait hole after being away for Christmas break. Ginny was wearing fresh new dress robes, and Fred and George were grinning while they offered people food. Ron dashed over to where Harry was standing. They slapped each other on the shoulder in greeting, and sat down to brag about their Christmases. p

"Oh, it was about the same. Mum made this great pie for Christmas dinner though. Sent some with me too, so we can dig in a bit later," Ron winked and patted his stomach, "How was it being the only guy in the dormitory?" p

"It wasn't so bad. Herm and I traded gifts Christmas morning and then went out into the snow for the rest of the day." Harry left out the part about his being an Acceptor. He didn't really want to go into at the moment. p

"What did she get you? She kept asking me what you'd like since November." p

"Oh, she gave me a wristband that lets me talk to anyone -- even dead people. So, I can talk to my parents -- ." p

"Wow -- ." p

"But I haven't used it yet." p

"Why? Aren't you dying to talk to them?" Ron asked, confusedly. p

"Yeah, but I just...I don't know what I want to say to them yet. And it just seems so weird that I can do that. I think I'm going to ask Hermione how it works before I try it out." p

Ron shot Harry another confused look (he does that often). p"Someone told me once not to trust anything unless I knew where it kept its brain. And considering I'm not Trelawny or her other fraud friends, I just don't want to start talking to a wristband that communicates me with dead people!" Harry's little outburst got the common room's attention. p

And no one started talking again until a sixth year in the far corner said, "Oh, it's just Harry Potter. He's always doing or saying something weird." p

This seemed to be the consensus of all the Gryffindors, who returned to their own conversations, and it was nice and loud, so Harry was able to storm out of the portrait hole without drawing too much attention. p

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"HARRY! HARRY!" p

Harry didn't turn around even though he knew it was Hermione who was running after him. He was in a sour mood, and he wasn't going to turn around for anyone -- including Herm. Let her chase him. p

"Harry Potter, I'm not chasing you all afternoon!" Hermione yelled, setting out in a brisk run. p

Finally, she managed to plow him face first in the fresh snow spread evenly over the Quidditch pitch, "What's your problem?" Hermione asked, breathless, while pinning Harry down to the ground. p

"Lemmeou'ofthesnof'," came the muffled reply. p

"Ooops," Hermione laughed, freeing Harry from her hold and plopping down in the snow next to him. p

Harry brushed the caked snow off his face and out of his hair, "Um...." p

"Did you make a scene of yourself in the common room again?" Hermione's eyes twinkled. p

"No! Well....would yelling something about a wristband that talks to dead people be considered making a scene?" p

"Yeah, that would be a bit strange," Hermione giggled after she said this, but suddenly turned solemn, "Do..uh...do you not like your gift?" she asked, shakily. p

"Yes, of course I like my gift. I just want to know how it does what it does...nevermind. We can talk about this later. Come on! Tell me about your day!" Harry jumped up and pulled Hermione from the ground. p

"I read this book and -- ." p

"You read and then you read and then you read some more and when you got done with that -- YOU READ!" Harry laughed, spinning Hermione around drunkenly. p

Hermione swung her head back and laughed with Harry. p

"That's my Herm!" Harry stopped, still holding Hermione's hand.... p

Hermione breathed in deeply. p

"Uh...Harry -- ." p

"Yes?" p

"We have to go to Dumbledore's office now. He wants to see us about something of 'vital importance'. That's why I was looking for you," Hermione hung her head disappointed. p

"Okay, come on! Let's go defeat Voldemort!" Harry said lightly, pulling Hermione towards the castle. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Oh, Harry, Hermione! I'm glad that you're here!" Dumbledore urged them to take their usual seats across from his desk, but instead of sitting behind it, he proceeded to pace the length of the room while talking. p

Harry, noticing Dumbledore's excitement, asked, "Professor, is something the matter?" p

Dumbledore stood still long enough to reply, "Matter? Why would anything be the matter, dear boy? No, no positively not. Everything is just fine. As a matter of fact, everything is better than fine! I think we know Voldemort's system!" He continued to pace. p

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I don't follow," Hermione furrowed her brow. p

"Remember this summer when I told you that Voldemort would start sending his Death Eaters to do their dirty work while he laid low, building his strength?" p

Harry and Hermione both nodded in time with Dumbledore's wide steps. p

"They're going to try and attack Hogwarts, but I think this can be prevented!" Dumbledore beamed. p

Personally, Harry found this news very disturbing and wished nothing more than to fall of the earth so he wouldn't have to even think about Death Eaters coming into Hogwarts. p

"How?" Hermione questioned, nervously biting her nails. p

"We'll be needing a few things first," Dumbledore dashed over to a piece of parchment and a quill on his desk and began scribbling. A few moments later he thrust the paper at Harry. p

"A complete map of Hogwarts, various ancient protection charms that can be cast using Good magic, plotted points where the Death Eaters are hiding right now, and a key to decode intercepted owls...." Harry looked up doubtfully, "Professor Dumbledore, I think we can take care of the map just fine -- ." p

"You musn't use the Marauder's Map, Harry. It isn't complete. It doesn't show all of the rooms," Dumbledore interrupted. p

"Then I don't know if Herm and I can come up with all of this -- ." p

"We can, Harry! I bet we can find most of this in the library, and don't forget we can pause time and apparate to go anywhere for other information!" There was a familiar gleam of the challenge of research in Hermione's eyes. p

"Miss Granger is right, Harry. If anyone can do this -- the two of you can," Dumbledore said, softly, back to his normal calm and stable state of mind. p

Harry cupped his forehead with his hands, deep in thought, "Fine." p

Hermione squealed and gave Harry a quick hug, blushing. p

"Well, I suggest that you get started tonight or at least tomorrow," Dumbledore said, straightening things on his desk, "Good luck, and remember you can pause time whenever you need to." p

Harry and Hermione left, Harry's head hung low, and Hermione whistling a cheery tune at the top of her voice. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Ginny," Ron moaned, treading behind his sister who was heading for an empty classroom. p

When she finally found what she was looking for, she shuffled Ron in, then slammed the door, a mad glint in her eye. p

"Ron! Hermione likes Harry and you've got to do something about it!" p

Ron stood, his mouth gaped open. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Professor Lupin!" Harry tried in vain to flag down Lupin in the hallway. Lupin kept jogging in the direction of the fourth floor, however, and soon disappeared behind a tapestry. p

"Harry, it's a full moon tonight. He's probably lost in thought," Hermione commented, looking intently at the moon that could be seen from the hall window. p

"Yeah," Harry muttered, "Should we be going to the library then?" p

"No, not tonight. I have some Transfiguration to finish up. How about we pause time tomorrow after breakfast and get in a few hours? We'll need plenty of sleep tonight...." p

"Okay, let's go," Harry motioned to the last staircase on the way to Gryffindor Tower. p

Hermione jumped of the ledge and nearly fell to the floor out of clumsiness, "I think I'm really tired," she yawned. p

Harry smiled and swung an arm around her shoulder, "You won't fall. Come on, I've got to finish Potions, Transfiguration, and Divination for tomorrow!" he exclaimed, walking at a faster pace. p

  
  
  
  


"Hermione likes HARRY?!" Ron's head hit the desk he had seated himself at. p

"I don't like it either," Ginny said, bitterly, "But Hermione needs this. I mean, none of the other guys like her, and I think it bothers her sometimes. Anyway, do me a favor, do Hermione a favor -- by asking Harry if he feels the same." p

Ron looked up, a large, red spot on his forehead now, "No! No! And no! I am not going around playing cupid for those two! They can find their own blasted matchmaker! Not doing it!" p

"Ron, you can be really annoying sometimes!" Ginny stomped her foot on the floor. p

"Ginny -- I don't think Hermione likes him anyway! How could she! She treats Harry the same way she treats me!" Ron argued in his favor. p

Ginny rolled her eyes, "You are a git, do you know that? Last time I tell you anything like this..." She pulled out her wand and performed a simple memory modifying charm they had learned earlier that week from Flitwick. Ron didn't understand anything. p

And now Ron couldn't remember anything -- at all. p

  
  
  
  
  
  


Harry and Hermione were sitting on top of Harry's truck, holding the wristband out in front of them. Transfiguration was forgotten. p

"Okay, Harry, this is quite simple. This wristband works by connecting you to the people who have been in your life. So, really, it wouldn't let you talk to just anyone. And when you talk to your parents - you will be talking to them as they were when you were one. I guess I should have clarified that -- Harry, what's the matter?" p

Harry had suddenly gotten this strange glossy look to his eyes, and his head was bobbing back and forth. Then a jet of green light emitted from his hands, feet, and torso. p 

"Oh, no! It's happening!" Hermione cried, jumping back. p

Harry was about to have release power just as his father had done. The room was beginning to spin, and it looked as the walls were dissolving. The wristband Hermione had been holding shot from her hand and hovered in the middle of the room before exploding. Voices, a chorus of voice rang out of the castle. p

While Hermione clung to anything solid left in the boy's dormitory, Harry screeched in pain, and fell to the floor. The rest of the castle was panicking. Students were running madly down the halls, and teachers were hexing everything in sight. Dumbledore smiled slightly from his office, but quickly began to hex things with the other teachers so as not to appear suspicious. p

Meanwhile, the voices continued. And the last, magnified, terrifying voice was that of Voldemort: "ONE DAY, HARRY POTTER! YOU WILL BE DEFEATED! YOU WILL BE DEFEATED!!!" p

  
  
  
  


(A/n: I'm really getting into this story now, and I'm going to take a chance and promise an new chapter within a couple of days...anyway -- suggestions? Anything? How about some reviews?! Hehe - thanks to all my reviewers! When I finish this thing -- I'll give you all credit individually. But for now, read and review!!! - writer) p


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